L  A 
Z9/ 


New  Series 


No.  2 


IC-NRLF 


KANSAS 
STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL 

EMPORIA 


Report  of  ,  \  ourvey  of  the  Public  Schools 
of  Leavenworth,  Kansas 

BUREAU  OF  EDUCATIONAL  MEASUREMENTS  AND  STANDARDS 


Entered  as  second-nab!"  mail  matter  in  the  pot.«  office  at  Emporia,  Kan. 


GIFT  Of 


Vol.  IV  New  Series  No.  2 


KANSAS 
STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL 

EMPORIA 


Report  of  a  Survey  of  the  Public  Schools 
of  Leavenworth,  Kansas 

BUREAU  OF  EDUCATIONAL  MEASUREMENTS  AND  STANDARDS 


KANSAS   STATE   PRINTING   PLANT. 

W.   R.   SMITH,   State  Printer 

TOPEKA.      1915. 


Entered  as  second-class  mail  matter  in  the  post  office  at  Emporia,  Kan. 


REPORT  OF  A  SURVEY  OF  THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS  OF 
LEAVENWORTH,  KAN. 

A  survey  conducted  under  the  auspices  of  the  Kansas  State  Normal  School.  * 


THE  SURVEY  STAFF. 


WALTER  S.  MONROE,  Ph.  D., 

Professor  of  School  Administration,   Kansas  State  Normal  School, 
DIRECTOR  OF  THE  SURVEY. 

FLORA  J.  COOKE, 

Principal  of  the  Francis  W.  Parker  School,  Chicago,  111. 

ELLA  V.  POBBS, 

Assistant  Professor  of  Manual  Arts,  University  of  Missouri,   Columbia,   Mo. 

MINNIE  E.  PORTER, 

Instructor  in  English,  Kansas  State  Normal  School. 

WALTER  R.  SMITH,  Ph.  D., 

Professor  of  Sociology  and  Economics,  Kansas  State  Normal  School. 


ADVISORY  COMMITTEE. 

W.  C.  BAGLEY,  Ph.  D., 

Director  of  School  of  Education,  University  of  Illinois,  Urbana,  111. 

J.  F.  BOBBITT,  Ph.  D., 

Professor  of  Educational  Administration,  University  of  Chicago,  Chicago,  111. 

W.  W.  CHARTERS,  Ph.  D., 

Dean   of   School  of   Iloneadoa,    Uoive'rsiiv   of   Missouri,    Columbia,    Mo. 


THE  BUREAU  OF  EDUCATIONAL  MEASUREMENTS  AND 

STANDARDS. 

IT  IS  RECOGNIZED  that  the  product  of  instruction  in 
school  is  complex ;  that  it  at  least  consists  of  habits,  knowl- 
edge, and  ideals.  At  present  we  have  no  instruments  for 
measuring  ideals  or  knowledge,  but  we  do  have  several  instru- 
ments which  can  be  used  to  measure  certain  specific  habits; 
e.  g.,  the  Courtis  tests  in  arithmetic,  the  handwriting  scales  of 
Ayres  and  Thorndike,  the  spelling  tests  of  Buckingham  and 
Ayres,  the  drawing  scale  of  Thorndike. 

To  measure  the  habit  portion  of  the  product  of  instruction 
does  not  mean  that  knowledge  and  ideals  are  considered  less 
important.  The  latter  are  not  measured  simply  because,  as 
stated  above,  educational  experts  have  not  discovered  a  means 
of  doing  the  work. 

In  order  that  the  schools  of  Kansas  might  have  a  central 
place  where  tests  like  those  mentioned  above  could  be  secured 
and  results  compiled,  the  State  Board  of  Administration  estab- 
lished at  the  Kansas  State  Normal  School  the  Bureau  of  Edu- 
cational Measurements  and  Standards.  The  character  and 
work  of  the  bureau  may  be  stated  as  follows : 

1.  It  is  to  be  a  state  bureau. 

2.  The  work  of  the  bureau  must  be  cooperative. 

The  Kansas  State  Normal  School  will  provide  expert  direction 
and  clerical  assistance.  The  superintendents  and  teachers  of 
the  state  can  furnish  information,  etc. 

3.  The  function  is — 

a.    To   make   accessible  to   the   superintendents    and   teachers   of 

Kansas  tests  and  scales. 
6.    To  establish  Kansas  standards. 

c.  To  devise  new  tests. 

d.  To  investigate  problems  of  school  administration  and  provide 
comparative  data  for  the  use  of  superintendents  and  boards 
of  education. 

4.  Although  this  bureau  has  been  established  recently,  this  type  of  work 

was  begun  by  the  Kansas  State  Normal  School  over  a  year  ago. 
This  year  (1914-'15)  the  Courtis  tests  have  been  made  accessible  to 
the  superintendents.  An  algebra  test  and  a  silent  reading  test 
have  been  devised.  The  cost  of  instruction  in  high  schools  and 
retardation  in  elementary  schools  are  being  investigated. 

5.  The  work  of  the  bureau  will  be  published. 

f>.    Similar  bureaus  or  departments  have  been  established  in  nine  cities 
of  the  United  States,  and  in  less  than  that  number  of  colleges  and 
1    universities. 

(3) 

367 


4  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

School  surveys  represent  one  form  in  which  measurement  is 
being  applied  to  school  systems. 

The  survey  of  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools  was  made  by 
members  of  the  faculty  of  the  Kansas  State  Normal  School,  to- 
gether with  other  educational  experts  for  whose  contribution 
to  the  success  of  the  survey  this  institution  desires  to  express 
its  appreciation. 

This  report  is  published  because  it  contains,  it  is  believed, 
much  material  sufficiently  general  to  make  it  of  value  to  super- 
intendents and  boards  of  education  throughout  the  state. 

THOMAS  W.  BUTCHER, 
President  Kansas  State  Normal  School. 
EMPORIA,  KAN.,  November,  1915. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

PREFATORY  STATEMENT 11 

Date  of  Survey 11 

Cooperation 11 

Recent  improvements ; 12 

The  purpose  of  a  survey 13 

Chapter  I.     A  GENERAL  VIEW  OF  LEAVENWORTH 14 

Economic  foundations 14 

Unique  features 15 

Industries  of  Leavenworth 16 

Racial  complexity *. 17 

Social  organizations 18 

Schools 18 

Community  spirit 19 

Occupational  analysis 20 

Chapter  II.     GENERAL    FEATURES    OF    THE    LEAVENWORTH    PUBLIC 

SCHOOLS 23 

The  location  of  the  schools 23 

The  organization  of  the  school  system 24 

The  supervision  of  instruction 24 

The  superintendent  should  have  a  secretary 25 

Assistant  superintendent  recommended 26 

Chapter  III.     THE  SCHOOL  BOARD 27 

Powers  of  the  board 27 

Composition  of  the  board 28 

Work  of  the  board 29 

Relations  of  the  board  to  the  superintendent 30 

The  purchase  of  supplies 31 

Recommendations 32 

Chapter  IV.     ATTENDANCE,  PROMOTION,  AND  RECORDS 33 

The  school  census 33 

The  function  of  the  school  census 34 

Attendance 34 

Reports  of  truant  officer 35 

Reports  of  attendance 36 

The  progress  of  pupils 37 

Enrollment  in  the  High  School 39 

Records  and  reports 39 

Tabulations  recommended 40 

Chapter  V.     BUILDINGS  AND  MATERIAL  EQUIPMENT 42 

The  school  buildings 42 

The  building  needs 42 

Analysis  of  buildings  and  material  equipment 43 

Playgrounds 46 

Gymnasiums 46 

Auditoriums 46 

Sanitation 47 

(5) 


6  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

Chapter  V.     BUILDINGS  AND  MATERIAL  EQUIPMENT— Concluded:  MQ« 

Seating 47 

Blackboards 47 

Fireproof  construction 47 

Chapter  VI.     EDUCATIONAL  EXPENDITURES 48 

The  school  system  as  a  business  enterprise 48 

How  Leavenworth  supports  her  schools 48 

Analysis  of  salary  expenditures 50 

Chapter  VII.    THE  TEACHING  STAFF 52 

The  training  of  teachers  in  the  elementary  school 52 

Length  of  service 52 

Improvement  of  teachers  in  service 53 

Time  given  to  school  work  by  teachers 54 

Chapter  VIII.     THE  COURSE  OF  STUDY  AND  ITS  ADMINISTRATION 56 

The  basis  for  making  a  course  of  study 56 

Vocational  activities,  or  those  activities  involved  in  providing  the 

necessities  of  life 56 

Avocational  activities,  or  occupations  of  one's  leisure  time 57 

Civic  and  moral  activities,  or  those  activities  which  have  to  do 

with  one's  contact  with  his  fellow  men £7 

Activities  relating  to  personal  health 57 

Activities  of  social  intercourse 57 

Activities  relating  to  home-building  and  parenthood 58 

Religious  activities 58 

Educational  agencies 58 

Time  allotment 58 

The  vocational  needs  of  Leavenworth 60 

Preparation  for  vocational  activities 61 

School  gardens 62 

Preparation  for  avocational  activities 63 

Preparation  for  civil  and  moral  activities 63 

Preparation  for  activities  of  personal  health .  64 

Preparation  for  activities  of  social  intercourse •  •  •  64 

Preparation  for  activities  of  home-building  and  parenthood 64 

Bank  savings 64 

The  use  of  school  assembly  halls 65 

The  method  of  the  survey  of  the  school  subjects 66 

Chapter  IX.     THE  PRIMARY  GRADES 68 

The  method  of  survey 68 

Discipline 68 

Reading 69 

Writing 71 

Spelling 73 

Number  work 75 

Comments  upon  the  telling  of  stories 76 

Comments  upon  the  dramatization  of  stories 76 

Physical  training 77 

Construction  work  or  elementary  manual  training 78 

Comments  upon  the  applied  arts  drawing  course 79 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.         7 

PAGE 

Chapter  X.  ARITHMETIC 81 

The  course  of  study 81 

Points  of  excellence  in  the  teaching  of  arithmetic 81 

Oral  arithmetic 82 

Classroom  technique 83 

Motive 83 

Arithmetical  abilities 84 

Recommendations 87 

Chapter  XI.  DRAWING  IN  THE  ELEMENTARY  SCHOOL 88 

The  course  of  study 88 

Special  teachers  for  drawing 88 

The  teaching  of  drawing 89 

Schoolroom  decoration * 90 

Books  for  reference 90 

Applications / 90 

Chapter  XII.  GEOGRAPHY 92 

The  course  of  study 92 

Illustrative  material 92 

The  modes  of  teaching  geography 93 

Motive 94 

The  pupils'  knowledge  of  geography 94 

Recommendations 94 

Chapter  XIII.  HANDWRITING 96 

The  time  given  to  handwriting 96 

The  quality  of  the  handwriting 96 

Recommendations 100 

Chapter  XIV.  HISTORY  AND  Civics 101 

The  course  of  study 101 

Classroom  work 101 

Lack  of  social  group  work 102 

Recommendations 103 

Civics 103 

Chapter  XV.  HOUSEHOLD  ARTS 105 

The  course  of  study 105 

Recommendations • 106 

Chapter  XVI.  HYGIENE  AND  MEDICAL  INSPECTION 107 

The  teaching  of  hygiene 107 

Classroom  work 107 

Medical  inspection 108 

Advantages  to  the  state 109 

Advantages  to  the  school 109 

Advantages  to  the  child 110 

Diseases  among  school  children 110 

The  school  nurse Ill 

Possibilities  in  Leavenworth Ill 

Plan  recommended 113 

Chapter  XVII.  LANGUAGE 114 

Standards 114 

The  teaching  of  language 115 

The  course  of  study. .  .116 


8  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

Chapter  XVII.  LANGUAGE — Concluded:  PAQB 

Examples  of  the  teaching  of  language 117 

Composition  in  grades  four,  five,  and  six 119 

The  oral  use  of  language 122 

Letter-writing 123 

Recommendations  for  grades  four,  five,  and  six 123 

Grammar  and  composition  in  grades  seven  and  eight 124 

Grammar  test 124 

The  results  of  the  test 125 

The  writing  of  one  complete  sentence . , 127 

Composition 128 

Chapter  XVIII.  MANUAL  TRAINING  IN  GRADES  FIVE  TO  EIGHT 130 

Technical  handwork 130 

Illustrative  handwork 130 

Handwork  in  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools 131 

Grades  five  and  six , 132 

Recommendations  for  grades  five  and  six .  .  .  . « 133 

Grades  seven  and  eight 134 

Recommendations  for  grades  seven  and  eight 134 

Chapter  XIX^  PHYSICAL  TRAINING  IN  THE  GRADES 137 

Theories  concerning  play 137 

Gymnastics 138 

Corrective  physical  training 138 

The  course  of  study 138 

Facilities  in  Leavenworth 140 

Physical  development 140 

The  value  of  physical  drill 140 

Changes  needed 141 

Correlation  with  other  studies 142 

Forming  the  habit  of  play 143 

Play  as  a  preventive  of  disorder 143 

Chapter  XX.  READING  AND  LITERATURE 145 

The  course  of  study 145 

The  teaching  of  reading 146 

The  outside  reading  of  pupils 147 

Chapter  XXI.  SPELLING 151 

The  teaching  of  spelling 151 

The  spelling  ability 151 

Chapter  XXII.  THE  HIGH  SCHOOL 153 

The  new  function  of  the  high  school 153 

The  reorganization  of  secondary  education 153 

Recommendations 154 

Chapter  XXIII.  COMMERCIAL  SUBJECTS 156 

Recommendations •. 156 

Chapter  XXIV.  ENGLISH  IN  THE  HIGH  SCHOOL 158 

Literature 158 

Composition 159 

Alternation  of  composition  and  literature 160 

Recommendations..  .  162 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.  9 

PAOB 

Chapter  XXV.  HOUSEHOLD  ARTS 163 

Sewing : 163 

Cooking 163 

Chapter  XXVI.  MANUAL  TRAINING 166 

The  function  of  manual  training 166 

Handwork  in  the  Leaven  worth  High  School 167 

Mechanical  drawing 167 

Recommendations 168 

Chapter  XXVII.  MATHEMATICS 169 

The  course  of  study  in  algebra 169 

The  teaching  of  geometry • 170 

Recommendations  concerning  the  course  of  study 170 

Algebraical  abilities r. 171 

Chapter  XXVIII.  NORMAL  TRAINING  COURSE 174 

The  function  of  the  course 174 

Recommendations 174 

Chapter  XXIX.  PHYSICAL  TRAINING  FOR  BOYS  IN  THE  HIGH  SCHOOL  .  .  176 

Need  of  an  athletic  field 176 

Plan  suggested 177 

Chapter  XXX.  SCIENCE  IN  THE  HIGH  SCHOOL 179 

Botany 179 

Chemistry 179 

Physics 180 

Chapter  XXXI.  SOCIAL  STUDIES  IN  THE  HIGH  SCHOOL 182 

History 182 

Current  events 182 

The  teaching  of  history -. 183 

Civics 184 

Economics 186 

Recommendations 186 

Chapter  XXXII.  THE  RELA-TION  OF  THE  SCHOOL  AND  THE  COMMUNITY,  188 

The  function  of  public  schools 188 

School  extension  work 189 

Night  schools 189 

The  vacation  school 190 

Public  use  of  the  school  plant 191 

Relations  of  school  and  patrons 192 

The  school,  the  home,  and  the  church 193 

The  school  and  business 193 

Need  of  an  employment  bureau 195 

Summary  of  recommendations 195 

Some  results  of  the  survey 197 

Progress  towards  improving  the  school  plant  of  Leavenworth ....  197 

The  remodeling  of  our  present  school  buildings 197 

Parent-teacher  associations 198 

Higher  standards  for  teachers 198 

The  use  of  tests  and  measurements 200 

Revision  of  the  course  of  study 200 

The  use  of  tests  in  the  Leavenworth  public  schools 201 


Report  of  a  Survey  of  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools, 
Leavenworth,  Kansas. 


PREFATORY  STATEMENT. 

Walter  S.  Monroe,  Director  of  Survey. 

THIS   Survey  was  initiated  by  the   superintendent   and   teachers   of 
Leavenworth.    An  executive  committee  was  selected  and  a  fund  suffi- 
cient for  defraying  the  expenses  of  those  engaged  in  the  work  was 
raised  by  contributions  from  the  teachers  and  Board  of  Education.    The 
Executive  Committee  invited  the" Kansas  State  Normal  School  to  assume 
the  responsibility  of  the   Survey.     In  consultation  with  the  Executive 
Committee,  the  Survey  Staff  were  selected  by  the  Director  of  the  Survey 
and  the  assignments  of  sections  of  the  report  were  made  to  the  members 
of  the  Survey  Staff.    In  this  final  report  these  sections  appear  under  the 
name  of  the  member  to  whom  they  were  assigned. 

DATE   OF   THE    SURVEY. 

The  work  of  the  Survey  began  with  a  visit  by  Dr.  Charters,  Dr.  Smith, 
Miss  Porter  and  myself  to  Leavenworth,  January  21-23,  1914.  The  work 
done  on  this  visit  was  of  a  preliminary  nature.  Within  the  period  from 
February  10  to  15  I  visited  Dr.  Charters,  Dr.  Bagley  and  Dr.  Bobbitt,  who 
went  over  with  me  the  plans  which  had  been  made  for  the  Survey.  Feb- 
ruary 22  and  23  I  again  visited  Leavenworth  in  company  with  Dr.  Bobbitt. 
Dr.  Smith,  Miss  Porter  and  I  were  in  Leavenworth  from  March  7  to  21, 
Miss  Cooke  from  March  15  to  21,  Miss  Dobbs  from  March  17  to  21.  And 
finally  Dr.  Bagley,  Dr.  Smith,  Miss  Porter  and  I  spent  April  9  to  13  in 
Leavenworth.  In  addition,  during  the  week  of  May  10  to  16,  I  again 
visited  Dr.  Charters  and  Dr.  Bobbitt,  who  went  over  a  preliminary  draft 
of  the  report  with  me,  and  I  also  visited  Miss  Dobbs  and  Miss  Cooke  and 
discussed  with  them  their  sections  of  the  report. 

COOPERATION. 

While  the  Survey  Staff  were  all  together  at  Leavenworth  in  March, 
frequent  conferences  were  held  and  preliminary  drafts  of  several  of  the 
sections  were  read  and  discussed.  We  found  a  surprising  agreement  on 
the  points  of  excellence  and  criticism  and  on  the  recommendations  for  im- 
provement. In  addition,  the  three  members  of  the  Staff  who  reside  in 
Emporia  have  been  in  constant  communication,  and  together  have  gone 
over  the  entire  report.  Thus,  although  the  sections  of  this  report  appear 
as  the  work  of  individuals,  they  represent  in  a  very  great  degree  the 
combined  judgment  of  the  entire  Staff. 

The  report  represents  a  cooperative  enterprise.  Practically  all  of  the 
data  relating  to  buildings  and  material  equipment  and  many  other  items 
were  collected  by  the  superintendent  with  the  assistance  of  the  teachers. 
The  tests  were  given  by  the  principals  and  teachers,  and  most  of  the 

(11) 


12  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL.    , 

clerical  work,  except  the  typewriting,  was  done  by  substitute  teachers. 
The  manuscript  of  the  report  has  been  read  and  criticised  by  the  super- 
intendent and  teachers. 

RECENT   IMPROVEMENTS. 

A  school  system  may  be  judged  not  only  by  its  present  status  but  also 
by  its  present  tendency.  What  it  is  is  scarcely  more  important  than  the 
spirit  which  shows  what  it  is  to  become.  That  the  progressive  spirit  is 
abroad  in  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools  is  shown  by  the  fact  that 
within  the  last  few  years  several  important  improvements  have  been 
made.  A  few  of  the  more  significant  are : 

1.  Departmental  instruction  has  been  introduced  in  the  upper  grades. 

2.  Supervisors  have  been  added  to  the  teaching  staff,  particularly  in 
physical  training,  music,  and  arts  and  crafts. 

3.  Manual   training   and   domestic   science  have   been   added   to   the 
program  of  studies  in  both  the  elementary  school  and  the  High  School. 

4.  A  splendid  system  of  records  has  been  introduced. 

5.  A  beginning  has  been  made  in  acquiring  playground  apparatus  and 
more  attention  is  being  given  to  playground  supervision. 

6.  Several  parent-teacher  associations  have  made  a  healthy  beginning. 

7.  Several  valuable  readjustments  have  been  made  in  the  curriculum, 
e.  g.,  less  formal  grammar  is  taught. 

The  last  two  of  these  improvements  belong  to  the  present  year.  A 
number  of  others  are  planned  for  the  coming  school  year. 

A  more  important  index  of  the  progressive  spirit  than  the  specific  facts 
mentioned  is  that  a  comprehensive  survey  of  the  public  schools  has  been 
inaugurated  by  the  teachers,  and  in  a  large  part  financed  by  them.  Thus 
the  schools  have  willingly  been  subjected  to  such  scientific  measurements 
as  were  available,  and  data  have  been  secured  which  can  be  used  as  the 
basis  of  future  plans  for  improvement.  All  these  facts,  together  with 
many  others,  show  that  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools  are  rapidly  in- 
creasing in  efficiency  and  a  broad  foundation  is  being  made  for  continuous 
improvement. 

The  existence  of  a  weakness  or  fault  in  a  school  system  is  not  neces- 
sarily a  criticism  of  the  superintendent,  principals  or  teachers.  It  may 
be  due  to  tradition,  to  unavoidable  conditions,  or  to  the  community,  and 
perhaps  the  weakness  or  fault  has  already  been  recognized  and  the  con- 
dition is  being  improved  as  rapidly  as  possible.  This  is  certainly  true  in 
several  instances  in  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools. 

Some  of  the  recommendations  and  suggestions  appearing  in  the  fol- 
lowing chapters  must  be  considered  as  ideals  which  will  be  approached 
slowly.  On  the  other  hand,  others  are  capable  of  relatively  immediate 
realization.  Probably  no  greater  disaster  could  grow  out  of  this  Survey 
than  that  it  should  lead  to  an  immediate  attempt  to  inaugurate  and  realize 
all  the  recommendations  made.  Careful  thought  must  precede  all  changes, 
arid  improvements  will  come  slowly.  It  is  necessary  always  to  keep  in 
mind  that  a  high  degree  of  efficiency  in  public-school  work  involves  several 
factors. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        13 

THE   PURPOSE   OF   A   SURVEY. 

The  purpose  of  a  survey  of  a  school  system  is  to  stimulate  and  assist 
in  its  future  development  by  revealing  existing  conditions,  recommending 
plans  for  enlarging  the  service  to  the  community,  and  for  increasing  the 
efficiency  of  the  present  activities  of  the  school  system.  The  bases  for 
making  recommendations  are  two:  First,  general  principles  of  education; 
second,  the  defects  in  the  present  educational  practice  within  the  system. 

In  order  that  the  recommendations  may  be  understood  it  is  necessary 
to  state  the  principles  and  the  present  conditions  which  form  the  basis 
of  the  recommendations.  This  frequently  requires  that  considerable 
prominence  be  piven  to  the  present  defects  of  the  school  system  urul'-r 
consideration. 

On  behalf  of  my  associates  ant!  myself,  I  wish  to  express  our  apprecia  - 
tion  of  the  courteous  and  helpful  assistance  which  was  received  at  the 
hands  of  Superintendent  Moore,  the  principals,  the  teachers,  and  th~ 
Board  of  Education.  The  members  of  the  Survey  Staff  desire  to  ex- 
press their  appreciation  of  the  generous  assistance  which  has  been  given 
by  those  acting  in  the  capacity  of  advisory  experts. 


14  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  GENERAL  VIEW  OF  LEAVENWORTH. 

Walter  R.  Smith. 

EVERY  institution  has  its  social  background.  If  an  organization  is  to 
be  effective  it  must  not  only  be  adapted  to  the  end  in  view,  but  it  must 
be  adapted  to  the  people  who  are  to  run  it.  The  school  is  an  institution 
which  has  been  created  by  society  for  the  definite  purpose  of  training 
children  to  take  part  in  the  activities  of  adult  life.  Any  scientific  study  of 
a  school  system,  therefore,  must  be  based  upon  an  analysis  of  the  social 
conditions  into  which  the  student  is  likely  to  be  graduated.  Before  mak- 
ing a  detailed  study  of  the  Leavenworth  schools,  then,  a  general  view  of 
the  community  is  important. 

Leavenworth,  Kansas,  is  now  a  city  of  about  twenty  thousand  popula- 
tion. It  is  picturesquely  located  on  bluffs  overlooking  the  Missouri  river, 
twenty-eight  miles  above  Kansas  City.  Its  topography,  consisting  of 
rolling  hills  extending  back  from  the  river,  is  unusually  favorable  for 
the  development  of  beautiful  home  sites  and  lends  itself  readily  to  land- 
scape gardening.  These  features,  as  in  most  western  towns,  however, 
have  not  been  fully  utilized. 

Its  population  and  industries  are  varied.  A  number  of  American 
elements  have  united  with  a  variety  of  foreign  immigrants  to  make  a 
composite  population  unusual  in  a  mid-western  city.  Manufacturing, 
mining,  agriculture,  and  railroad  and  mercantile  interests  all  contribute 
to  a  complex  economic  and  industrial  life.  In  addition,  large  national 
and  state  institutions  are  located  on  its  borders  and  greatly  influence  its 
life.  Altogether,  it  is  an  interesting  city  for  observation  and  study 
along  economic,  social  and  institutional  lines.  It  not  only  presents  the 
ordinary  phases  of  life  in  a  small  city,  but  furnishes  many  unique 
features;  and  its  complex  nature  creates  larger  social  and  educational 
problems  than  are  found  in  most  cities  of  its  size. 

The  first  house  was  erected  on  the  site  of  Leavenworth  in  1854.  The 
earliest  village  organization  took  place  one  year  later.  Its  growth  into 
a  city  was  very  rapid  up  to  1870,  but  since  then  its  population  has  re- 
mained comparatively  stationary.  The  following  table  shows  the  popula- 
tion at  different  dates: 

1860  7,429 

1870  17,873 

1880  16,546 

1890  19,768 

1900  20,735 

1910  19,363 

ECONOMIC   FOUNDATIONS. 

Three  things  led  to  this  early  growth:  First,  it  was  a  river  town, 
and  access  to  the  eastern  world  was  by  boat.  This  made  the  obtaining  of 
supplies  easier  than  for  most  neighboring  towns  and  favored  more 
rapid  growth.  Second,  in  1832  a  government  post  was  established  on  its 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        15 

borders,  and  later  it  became  a  point  of  departure  for  many  of  the 
wagon  trains  headed  for  the  Far  West.  This  made  it  an  outfitting  post, 
calling  for  stores  and  other  commercial  enterprises.  An  evidence  of 
this  demand  may  be  seen  in  the  Planter's  Hotel,  now  a  large  apartment 
hotel,  which  in  its  day  was  the  most  palatial  on  the  river  above  St.  Louis. 
Third,  it  was  located  in  a  rich  agricultural  region,  which  formed  a  sub- 
stantial basis  for  permanent  growth. 

Two  of  these  three  features  remain  to  the  present.  The  paralleling 
of  the  river  with  railroads  undermined  the  river  traffic  just  after  the 
Civil  War,  but  the  development  of  agriculture  counterbalanced  this  loss. 
Moreover,  the  federal  government  not  only  retained  the  Leavenworth 
military  post  but  added  a  federal  prison,  a  military  prison,  a  training 
school  in  military  tactics,  and  a  soldiers'  home  for  aged  and  disabled 
soldiers.  The  state  also  established  at  Lansing,  just  south  of  the  city 
limits,  its  State  Penitentiary. 

But  the  above-mentioned  features  have  not  been  the  only,  or  even 
the  chief,  economic  features  of  the  Leavenworth  of  later  years.  Manu- 
facturing has  long  been  and  remains  her  largest  source  of  wealth. 
Factories  were  established  at  an  early  date,  and  flourished.  For  several 
years  it  seemed  Leavenworth  was  to  be  the  leading  city  of  the  region,  but 
several  conditions  led  to  the  supremacy  of  Kansas  City.  A  number  of 
Kansas  City  enterprises  were  started  in  Leavenworth,  but  later  business 
advantages  led  to  their  removal  to  the  more  rapidly  growing  railroad 
center. 

UNIQUE  FEATURES. 

The  most  unique  feature  of  Leavenworth  is  her  state  and  national 
institutions.  These  institutions  have  influenced  the  city  in  many  ways. 
In  the  first  place,  they  have  been  an  unfailing  source  of  wealth,  pro- 
viding a  demand  for  a  variety  of  agricultural,  manufactured  and  mer- 
cantile products. 

In  the  second  place,  they  have  been  a  legally  demoralizing  force. 
This  is  inevitable  where  large  bodies  of  men  congregate  and  live  under 
a  divided  governmental  authority.  The  soldier  element,  whether  from 
the  army  post  or  from  the  soldiers'  home,  look  primarily  to  the  federal 
government  for  control  and  have  a  tendency  to  disregard  local  govern- 
ment. They  form  an  unruly  civic  element,  and  in  Leavenworth,  as  in 
most  places,  they  have  succeeded  in  getting  large  immunity  from  local 
officials.  Such  a  large  number  of  idle  or  partly  idle  men  with  a  little 
ready  cash  to  spend  are  certain  to  be  riotous  at  times,  and  create  a 
demand  for  amusements  of  the  lower  sort.  Pension  day  for  three  thou- 
sand old  soldiers  is  apt  to  be  a  jubilation.  The  writer  was  informed 
that,  as  was  to  be  expected,  the  old  soldiers  were  "seldom  arrested  for 
offenses  that  would  land  the  ordinary  citizen  in  the  lockup."  The  same 
was  true  of  the  younger  soldiers  to  a  lesser  degree. 

The  fact  that  such  a  large  number  of  persons  are  partly  exempt  from 
the  law  has  a  reactionary  effect  upon  others.  Unenforced  law  under- 
mines respect  for  law,  and  discrimination  in  favor  of  the  soldier  element 
doubtless  has  some  effect  upon  other  citizens. 


16  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

The  third  effect  of  these  state  and  national  institutions  is  to  weaken, 
to  a  degree,  local  civic  responsibility.  Inquiry  as  to  the  reason  for  a 
lack  of  city  parks  brought  forth  the  invariable  reply  that  the  govern- 
ment reservation  to  the  north  and  the  soldiers'  home  to  the  south  were 
beautiful  parks.  Show  places  for  visitors  were  not  needed.  Concerts  at 
both  the  above-mentioned  places  were  numerous  and  free.  They  were 
easily  accessible.  So  the  only  reason  for  city  parks  was  for  playgrounds 
for  the  children.  It  was  freely  admitted  that  so  many  things  had  been 
provided  by  the  state  and  national  government  that  one  of  the  chief 
virtues  asked  of  a  legislator  or  congressman  was  the  ability  to  secure 
these  favors.  Such  an  attitude  is  in  line  with  universal  human  nature 
and  makes  local  civic  virtue  a  plant  of  slow  growth,  requiring  much 
laborious  nurture  and  scientific  cultivation.  Thus,  there  is  found  a 
difficult  political,  educational  and  religious  situation. 

There  is  some  evidence,  also,  that  the  commercial  value  of  these  in- 
stitutions affects  the  spirit  of  business  enterprise.  The  writer  was  told 
that  the  ordinary  demands  of  these  institutions  are  so  large  that  the 
usual  reaching  out  for  new  business,  advertising,  and  the  hustling  spirit 
are  not  so  necessary  as  in  other  places.  The  same  amount  of  business 
can  be  done  with  less  energy  than  elsewhere,  and  consequently  competi- 
tion is  less  keen  and  inspiring  to  ambitious  effort. 

INDUSTRIES   OF   LEAVENWORTH. 

Another  general  factor  in  Leavenworth  calls  for  analysis.  As  before 
stated,  it  is  a  manufacturing  town.  Three  large  furniture  factories,  a 
stove  factory,  a  saddlery  and  harness  factory,  agricultural  machinery 
factories,  amusement  machinery  factory,  box  factories,  a  packing  house, 
several  large  flour  mills,  bridge  and  structural  iron  works,  many  smaller 
factories  and  numerous  jobbing  houses  exist.  Altogether  there  are 
seventy-nine  manufacturing  plants,  employing  over  1600  workmen,  with 
a  capital  stock  of  $3,111,000  and  producing  an  annual  output  of  nearly 
$5,000,000.  They  have  large  pay  rolls  of  both  skilled  and  unskilled  men 
and  women.  There  are  likewise  coal  mines.  Formerly  three  large  ones 
were  operated  (two  at  present),  besides  the  one  at  the  Kansas  State 
Penitentiary.  They  vary  greatly  in  the  amount  of  work  offered  at  dif- 
ferent times  and  seasons.  Their  pay  rolls  are  large  but  uncertain,  and 
they  assemble  many  people  who  naturally  create  hard  school  problems. 
Members  of  the  Survey  Staff  saw  several  boys,  who  ought  to  continue  in 
school,  sometimes  accompanied  by  their  parents,  asking  for  age  permits 
that  they  might  drop  out  of  school  and  go  to  work. 

These  two  industries,  mining  and  manufacturing,  necessarily  lead  to 
the  importation  and  development  of  a  large  day-laboring  class.  Extreme 
economic  planes  are  inevitable.  The  employing  class  and  the  working 
class  in  these  occupations  are  far  apart  in  standards  of  living.  They 
clash  in  many  of  their  ideals.  Where  these  elements  form  as  large  a 
portion  of  the  population  as  they  do  inj  Leavenworth,  mixed  civic  aims, 
varied  political  motives,  and  uncertain  institutional  conditions  exist. 
Social,  political  and  cultural  organization  is  difficult.  And  where  organi- 
zation for  these  purposes  is  difficult,  there  are  likely  to  be  found  a  social 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        17 

aristocracy,  the  political  boss,  and  a  certain  amount  of  cultural  cant. 
Evidence  of  the  existence  of  some  of  these  things  may  be  found  in  many 
of  her  institutions.  The  officers  at  the  fort,  the  old  families,  and  ambitious 
wealth  have  formed  an  exclusive  social  atmosphere.  Many  of  the  negroes, 
some  of  the  laboring  elements,  and  party  fealty  have  made  control  by 
bosses  easy.  Cultural  agencies  have  been  largely  for  the  few.  During  the 
whole  generation  from  1870  to  1904  the  public  High  School  charged  all 
students  a  tuition  fee. 

RACIAL   COMPLEXITY. 

As  the  previous  analysis  of  the  industries  of  Leavenworth  would  in- 
dicate, the  population  is  varied.  The  early  settlers  were  of  the  usual 
eastern  Kansas  type.  Many  crossed  over  the  border  from  Missouri.  The 
regular  stream  of  westward  migration  from  the  Northeast,  East,  South, 
and  Middle  West  left  its  due  portion.  It  is  not  a  New  England  settle- 
ment, nor  is  it  southern,  nor  foreign.  No  one  element  of  the  population 
dominates.  Agriculture,  mercantile  business  and  the  usual  city  industries 
are  mainly  controlled  by  the  American  and  the  better  foreign  stock. 
Moreover,  the  city  is  now  getting  old  enough  to  be  strongly  moved  by  the 
"native  son"  element. 

Above  this  native  substratum  is  a  great  variety  of  foreigners  and 
their  descendants.  Large  German,  English,  Jewish  and  Polish  elements 
are  present.  Many  Italians  and  eastern  Europeans  also  are  found.  It 
is  to  be  noted,  however,  that  Leavenworth  was  very  fortunate  in  getting 
a  high  class  of  immigrants.  The  negro  population  is  large  for  a  Kansas 
town,  comprising  12.79  per  cent  of  the  total.  This  large  element  has  led 
to  the  segregation  of  the  negroes  into  separate  schools  until  the  High 
School  is  reached.  The  last  census  report  gives  the  following  figures  for 
the  distribution  of  the  population  according  to  race: 

Native  white,  native    parentage    8,973 

Native  white,  foreign  or  mixed  parentage 5,444 

Foreign-born  white    2,464 

Negro 2,477 

Indian,  Chinese  and  Japanese 5 

FOREIGN-BORN    WHITE   OF   LEADING   NATIONS. 

Austria 154 

Canada 74 

England 174 

Germany 1,221 

Ireland 342 

%             Russia 165 

While  this  diversity  of  race  stock  does  not  create  the  serious  problems 
found  in  the  foreign  districts  of  our  large  cities,  it  does  create  problems 
not  generally  found  in  neighboring  cities.  The  foreign  immigration  was 
mainly  of  an  earlier  day  and  of  a  superior  class,  so  that  practically  all 
the  children  now  speak  English.  But  divergent  ideals  and  different 
standards  of  education  complicate  the  educational  situation  and  explain 
the  rather  large  percentage  of  illiteracy.  The  percentage  for  the  whole 
state  of  Kansas  in  1910  was  2.2,  and  for  the  urban  population  it  was  2.4. 

—2 


18  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

Over  against  this  is  Leavenworth's  3.3  per  cent.  The  illiterate  males 
of  voting  age  comprise  2  per  cent  of  the  total  for  the  state,  while  in 
Leavenworth  they  comprise  3  per  cent  of  the  total. 

SOCIAL  ORGANIZATIONS. 

Institutionally  Leavenworth  shows  the  effect  of  the  complexity  of  her 
problems  and  the  influence  creating  them.  Social  organization  is  diffi- 
cult. Twenty  churches  serve  the  twenty  thousand  people,  except  for  half 
a  dozen  or  more  negro  churches.  There  are  four  Catholic  churches — 
German,  Irish,  Polish  and  negro — two  Jewish,  two  Methodist,  and  one 
each  of  the  following  denominations:  Presbyterian,  Congregational, 
Christian,  Episcopal,  United  Brethren,  Lutheran,  Evangelical,  Baptist, 
Independent,  and  Christian  Science. 

In  addition  to  the  churches,  there  is  a  strong  Y.  M.  C.  A.  It  has  an 
adequate  building  of  its  own,  with  a  secretary,  a  physical  director,  and 
an  annual  budget  of  $6000.  Its  active  membership  is  310,  and  its  work 
varied.  Within  the  last  year  a  Y.  W.  C.  A.  has  been  organized.  The 
promise  is  large,  since  it  has  enrolled  650  members,  has  just  employed  a 
full-time  secretary,  has  started  various  enterprises,  and  is  planning  a 
well-equipped  building  for  the  near  future. 

The  public  library  is  elegantly  housed  in  a  Carnegie  building  and  well 
cared  for.  It  has  an  annual  budget  of  about  $6000,  a  collection  of  21,658 
books,  and  an  annual  circulation  of  over  66,000.  It  is  doing  a  variety  of 
community  service  and  working  well  with  other  institutions.  Special 
collections  of  books  are  lent  to  the  elementary  schools  and  issued  from  the 
school  buildings.  Some  of  the  churches  have  libraries,  and  likewise  the 
separate  schools. 

The  fraternal  organizations  of  the  city  are  of  the  usual  type.  The 
Elks  have  an  elegant  club  house,  and  there  is  a  well-equipped  Turn- 
verein.  The  labor  organizations  are  also  strong.  But  there  is  in  gen- 
eral an  apparent  lack  of  recreation  facilities  of  an  organized  type.  The- 
aters exist,  and  "movies"  galore,  but  they  have  been  without  adequate 
supervision.  Plans  to  improve  the  supervision  are  started  and  coopera- 
tion with  the  schools  is  being  fostered.  Sociability  is  mainly  along  class 
lines.  This  lack  of  organized  amusements  only  lends  strength  to  the 
unorganized  and  illegitimate  type,  and  makes  law  enforcement  more  dif- 
ficult. Two  small  supervised  playgrounds  exist.  They  are  treated  as 
matters  of  charity,  with  but  small  interest  or  attendance.  In  the  heart 
of  Leavenworth  is  a  population  of  10,000  people  with  not  a  single  play 
space  larger  than  a  town  lot.  Social,  cultural  and  civic  clubs  exist,  but 
not  in  profusion.  .  Two  women's  clubs  are  affiliated  with  the  Federation 
of  Women's  Clubs,  and  a  Woman's  Civic  League  is  just  awakening  to  its 
larger  possibilities.  Commercial  and  business  clubs  also  exist.  But  the 
varied  interests,  ideals  and  occupations  of  the  people  have  prevented 
elaborate  social  and  philanthropic  organization  and  rendered  ineffective 
many  of  the  existing  efforts  at  cooperation  in  social  and  civic  affairs. 

SCHOOLS. 

The  school  interests  and  facilities  are  varied.  The  school  census  of 
1013  indicates  an  eligible  school  population  of  6649.  This  has  remained 
practically  stationary  for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  A  mixed  population 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.       19 

and  native  conservatism  have  led  to  a  large  demand  for  private  and 
parochial  schools.  Consequently  the  public  schools  are  not  so  larjre  as 
the  size  of  the  city  would  lead  one  to  expect.  For  several  years  the 
average  attendance  at  the  parochial  schools  has  been  above  one  thousand 
and  that  at  the  public  schools  three  thousand. 

Leavenworth  has  not  been  as  liberal  in  supporting  her  public  schools 
as  the  other  Kansas  cities  of  the  first  class.  For  years  the  tax  levy 
for  the  support  of  schools  has  been  beneath  that  of  her  sister  cities. 
The  school  levy  for  cities  of  the  first  class  for  a  period  of  ten  years 
has  been  studied,  and  while  not  all  of  the  information  is  obtainable, 
enough  is  at  hand  to  show  that  Leavenworth  ranked  lowest  until  the  last 
two  years,  and  is  still  below  the  average.  A  table  showing  comparative 
tax  levies  may  be  found  on  page  4$. 

Not  only  has  Leavenworth  failed  to  tax  herself  liberally  for  the  main- 
tenance of  her  schools,  but  half  a  dozen  years  ago  she  voted  down  a 
bond  levy  for  needed  additions  to  the  high  school  building.  Later  the 
school  board  raised  the  taxes  and  built  the  additions,  but  with  many  fore- 
bodings, and  the  present  very  moderate  levy  causes  much  public  dis- 
satisfaction. 

A  less  tangible  proof  of  a  lack  of  active  interest  on  the  part  of 
citizens  of  Leavenworth  in  her  public  schools  appears  in  the  small  num- 
ber of  visits  to  the  schools  by  the  public  and  a  lack  of  support  for  school 
enterprises.  This  was  repeatedly  brought  out  in  conversations  -with  the 
public,  with  the  teachers,  with  high-school  students,  and  was  reflected 
in  the  recently  organized  parent-teacher  associations.  Personal  politics 
in  the  shape  of  a  quarrel  between  a  former  superintendent  and  a  high- 
school  principal  had  been  allowed  to  divide  the  city  into  factions.  For 
years  party  politics  were  allowed  to  enter  into  the  election  of  the  school 
board  by  automatically  dividing  the  members  to  be  chosen  between  the 
dominant  parties.  The  provincial  and  in-breeding  spirit  has  allowed 
unnecessary  preference  to  local  applicants  for  teaching  positions,  and 
favoritism  instead  of  merit  has  had  too  much  influence  in  the  selection  of 
teachers  until  very  recently. 

Happily,  most  of  these  evils  are  eliminated  or  are  in  the  process  of 
elimination.  Leavenworth  is  becoming  willing  to  pay  for  good  schools 
by  liberal  taxation.  School  interest  and  parent-teacher  cooperation  are 
being  fostered.  Personal  and  party  politics  have  largely  disappeared  in 
school  matters.  Teachers  are  being  selected  on  their  merits,  paid  a  fair 
salary,  and  are  being  given  friendly  social  recognition.  If  Leavenworth 
schools  are  going  to  improve — and  every  single  chapter  of  this  report 
will  indicate  that  they  are  improving — public  interest,  public  support  and 
public  cooperation  are  necessary;  and  these  agencies  must  be  held  as 
responsible  for  that  improvement  as  the  school  authorities  themselves. 

COMMUNITY   SPIRIT. 

One  other  phase  of  the  city  needs  to  be  analyzed,  and  that  is  its 
general  community  spirit.  That  it  is  a  cosmopolitan  community  follows 
from  its  varied  industries  and  heterogeneous  population.  But  this  cos- 
mopolitanism is  of  a  mixed  type.  Class  lines  are  evident  in  Leavenworth. 


20  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

This  social  stratification  makes  church  work,  clean  government,  com- 
mercial cooperation  and  school  democracy  more  difficult  than  in  a  more 
homogeneous  community.  Some  radical  elements  and  some  progressive 
elements  are  found;  but  in  the  main,  conservatism  dominates.  It  is 
quite  un-Kansan  in  this  particular.  New  movements,  new  parties,  new 
ideals  and  all  sorts  of  fads  make  headway  slowly.  Ritualism  in  religion, 
formalism  in  education,  party  regularity  in  politics,  negativism  in  amuse- 
ments and  respectability  in  society  are  necessarily  in  danger  of  over- 
emphasis. There  is  evidence  that  in  the  past  they  have  been  too  in- 
fluential; but  along  each  of  these  lines  improvements  may  be  noted. 

As  previously  pointed  out,  a  high  standard  of  civic  virtue  is  not  to 
be  easily  obtained  in  such  a  mixed  and  uncertain  environment.  The 
number  of  temporary  and  irresponsible  residents  is  so  large  that  the 
ordinary  amount  of  civic  conscience  in  the  responsible  native  elements 
can  scarcely  be  expected  to  secure  adequate  sanitation  and  cleanliness 
in  many  quarters  of  the  city.  The  spring  clean-up  day  is  needed  oftener. 

Leavenworth  is  well  paved  and  the  streets  seem  to  be  well  cared  for; 
but  in  the  outlying  districts  and  the  draws  and  the  unused  lots  neglect 
is  apparent.  The  river  bluffs  are  picturesque  and  might  well  be  utilized 
for  parks  and  playgrounds,  to  the  benefit  of  large  numbers  of  people. 
A  general  campaign  on  the  part  of  her  newspapers  and  organized  clubs 
to  develop  a  spirit  of  cooperation  and  local  pride  based  upon  real  accom- 
plishments would  aid  much  in  the  civic  reawakening  which  is  at  present 
visible  in  many  parts  of  the  city's  life. 

OCCUPATIONAL  ANALYSIS. 

A  very  excellent  occupational  analysis  of  Leavenworth  has  been  made 
by  Superintendent  M.  E.  Moore  of  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools.  It  is 
a  type  of  work  that  ought  to  be  done  in  many  cities.  It,  together  with  a 
study  of  the  causes  of  elimination  in  all  grades,  should  form  the  basis 
for  a  reexamination  of  the  curriculum  and  its  administration  in  both  the 
elementary  and  high  schools.  This  should  be  done  with  the  idea  of  better 
adapting  them  to  the  pupils  while  in  school  and  better  fitting  these 
pupils  to  take  an  effective  part  in  the  industrial  and  social  life  of 
Leavenworth  or  some  similar  community  after  leaving  school. 

It  is  here  appended,  not  only  for  its  value  in  Leavenworth,  but  as  a 
worthy  bit  of  community  study  that  might  be  valuable  elsewhere  in  the 
educational  field. 

TABLE  I. 

Occupations  Taken  from  the  Directory  of  1912. 

Total. 
9 
11 
11 
254 
15 
3 

175 
44 
6 


Occupation. 
Chauffeurs     

Number  of  whites. 
9 

Colored. 

Undertakers    

10 

1 

Reporters 

11 

Accountants 

252 

2 

Pharmacists 

14 

1 

Civil  engineers 

3 

Agents  and  salesmen 

174 

1 

Apprentices 

44 

Bookbinders     . 

6 

SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.  21 

Occupation.                                                                      Number  of  whites.      Colored.  Total. 

Contractors    (a)     5  ....  5 

Contractors    (6)     54  ....  54 

Doctors,  lawyers,  dentists 79  4  83 

Managers    (a)     247  2  249 

Managers    ( 6 )     28  ....  28 

Managers  <<?)    20  20 

Machine  operators    (a) 100  3  103 

Machine  operators    (6) 182  2  184 

Painters,  decorators 117  3  120 

Telephone  and  telegraph  operators 91  ....  91 

Photographers     12  ....  12 

Iron   workers    125  ....  125 

Silver  and  gold  workers 10  ....  10 

Railroad    employees    (a) 41  41 

Railroad   employees    (6) *•: 159  5  184 

Woodworkers     •. 450  25  475 

Cement  workers 93  ....  93 

Stone   workers    10  ....  10 

Plasterers    90  2  92 

Soldiers     106  29  135 

Clerks    (a)     40  4  44 

Clerks    (b)     619  1  620 

Laundresses     33  55  88 

Teachers 125  13  138 

Publishers     15  15 

Widows    767  178  945 

Dealers    (a)     17  ....  17 

Dealers    (6)     320  8  328 

Confectioners,   hucksters    31  '3  34 

Bakers    (not  proprietors)    12  ....  12 

Domestics    82  80  162 

Electricians     27  ....  27 

Engineers,  firemen    131  3  134 

Messengers    20  2  22 

Shoemakers     29  2  31 

Stenographers     80  2  82 

Draftsmen,   architects'    ....  3 

Milliners    (a)     15  ....  15 

Seamstresses    184  1  185 

Liverymen     (a)     8  ....  8 

Liverymen   (6 )• 92  2  94 

Plumbers,    fitters    52  ....  52 

Housekeepers    (a)    hotel 5  2  7 

Housekeepers    (&)    restaurant    15  3  18 

Housekeepers   (c)   rooms 44  2  46 

Housekeepers    (hired)     10  ....  10 

Nurses     41  3  44 

Barbers     65  11  76 

Mail    carriers    25  1  26 

Real  estate,  insurance,  etc 57  ....  57 

Laborers  without  mention  of  steady  employment 568  209  777 

Laborers  holding  steady  jobs,  given  in  directory 861  195  1,056 

Unclassified     764  89  853 

Federal  employees   (mostly  guards) 91  2  93 

Miners     '. 520  103  623 

Farmers,  gardeners,   florists,   etc 135  4  139 

Cooks  (a)    8  12  20 

Cooks   (6)    24  23  47 

Tailors      .  52  1  53 


22  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

Occupation.  Number  of  whiles.  Colored.       '    Total. 

Butchers,    meat    cutters 34  ....  '4 

Printers     , 44  ....  44 

Manufacturers     45  ....  4."~> 

•  Ministers      29                         4  33 

Students 23                        1  24 

Musicians     .                                                                                                      19                         3  22 


Totals 8,721  1,102  9,823 

An  analysis  of  this  table  shows  that  286,  or  2.9  per  cent  of  the  total 
number,  may  be  classified  as  professional  workers  requiring  elaborate 
educational  preparation;  87,  or  .9  per  cent,  are  business  managers  need- 
ing a  thorough  commercial  education;  1963,  or  20  per  cent,  are  commer- 
cial workers  who  need  practical  commercial  training;  2204,  or  22.4  per 
cent,  are  skilled  industrial  workers  who  need  first-class  industrial  train- 
ing; 3419,  or  35  per  cent,  are  unskilled  workmen  who  need  at  least  a  prac- 
tical elementary  education;  and  1866,  or  19  per  cent,  miscellaneous. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        23 


CHAPTER  II. 

GENERAL  FEATURES  OF  THE  LEAVENWORTH  PUBLIC 

SCHOOLS. 

Walter  S.  Monroe. 
THE   LOCATION   OF   THE   SCHOOLS. 

THE  Morris,  Oak  Street,  and  Third  Avenue  schools  are  to-day  the 
large  elementary  schools  of  the  city.  In  addition  to  these,  which  are  for 
white  children  only,  there  are  two  schools  for  colored  children,  the  Sumner 
School  in  South  Leavenworth  and  the  Lincoln  School  in  North  Leaven- 
worth. 

The  Morris  School  is  located  in  a  thickly  settled  district  in  North 
Leavenworth.  There  is  a  large  foreign  element;  Poles,  Germans,  and 
Italians  being  most  numerous.  The  United  States  reservation,  contain- 
ing Fort  Leavenworth,  borders  the  city  on  the  north.  The  army  has  some 
influence  upon  the  school.  A  considerable  element  (45  per  cent)  of  the 
people  are  well-to-do;  a  few  are  wealthy  and  a  number  are  poor.  This 
is  an  old  section  of  the  city,  and  the  population  is  now  drifting  slowly  to 
the  southwest  portion.  Mining  is  the  most  prominent  industry. 

The  Oak  Street  School  is  centrally  located,  near  the  business  section  of 
the  city.  The  people  are  well-to-do,  mostly  merchants,  with  a  few  bank- 
ers. A  few  children  (30  to  40)  come  to  this  school  from  the  western  part 
of  the  city,  where  truck  gardening  is  the  chief  occupation. 

The  Third  Avenue  School  is  in  South  Leavenworth  in  the  wealthiest 
section  of  the  city.  The  district  is  thickly  settled  and  the  school  is  the 
largest  elementary  school  in  the  city.  In  this  school  a  number  of  chil- 
dren come  to  the  seventh  and  eighth  grades  who  live  in  outlying  sections 
of  the  city. 

The  population  of  Leavenworth,  while  not  growing  in  numbers  in 
recent  years,  has  been  spreading  out.  This  has  made  necessary  buildings 
to  accommodate  at  least  the  younger  pupils  in  the  outlying  districts. 

The  Franklin  School,  built  in  1903,  is  a  four-room  brick  building  in 
the  southwestern  part  of  the  city.  The  first  six  grades  are  taught  in  this 
building,  and  from  here  the  pupils  enter  the  seventh  grade  in  the  Third 
Avenue  School.  The  patrons  of  the  Franklin  School  are  a  very  in- 
dustrious laboring  class  of  people.  Most  of  them  own  their  own  homes 
and  have  sufficient  space  for  gardening. 

The  Jefferson  School,  a  two-story  brick  building,  was  constructed  in 
1903.  Employees  at  the  federal  prison,  built  several  years  prior  to  the 
erection  of  the  Jefferson  School,  necessarily  lived  near  their  place  of 
employment,  and  this  fact  led  to  a  demand  for  a  school  in  this  neighbor- 
hood. In  addition  there  is  an  element  of  prosperous  truck  gardeners. 

The  Maplewood  School  building,  originally  a  seminary  for  girls,  was 
purchased  by  the  Board  of  Education  in  1890  and  rebuilt  in  1903.  The 
building  has  a  splendid  location  in  the  western  part  of  the  city.  The 
first  six  grades  are  taught  here  and  the  pupils  enter  the  seventh  grade  at 


24  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

the  Oak  Street  School.     The  patrons  of  the  school  are  mostly  laborers, 
such  as  machanics,  gardeners,  bricklayers,  stonemasons,  and  molders. 

The  Wilson  School,  a  two-room  building,  was  built  in  1903  to  accom- 
modate a  settlement  of  miners  around  the  Riverside  coal  mine.  Nearly 
all  the  miners  are  foreigners.  Some  of  the  patrons  work  in  Helmer's 
furniture  factory. 

The  Cleveland  Park  School  was  organized  in  1911  to  meet  the  demands 
of  a  population  drifting  into  the  southwest  portion  of  the  city.  The 
building  used  for  the  school  is  a  remodeled  dwelling  house.  The  school 
is  located  in  a  community  of  truck  farmers  and  the  employees  of  two 
large  greenhouses. 

TABLE  II. 
The  Leavenworth  Public  Schools. 

Enrollment  Number  of  teachers, 

January  23,  1914.      including  principals. 

High  School 420  20 

Third  Avenue  446  11 

Oak  Street 376  13 

Morris 380  12 

Sumner 185  6 

Lincoln   127  5 

Franklin 124  4 

Maplewood 262  6 

Jefferson 143  4 

Wilson 39  2 

Cleveland   .  28  1 


Total    2,530  84 

THE   ORGANIZATION    OF   THE    SCHOOL   SYSTEM. 

A  superintendent  is  at  the  head  of  the  system.  For  the  elementary 
schools  there  are  a  supervisor  of  arts  and  crafts,  a  supervisor  of  music, 
a  supervisor  of  physical  training,  and  two  special  teachers  of  domestic 
science  and  art.  At  the  Third  Avenue,  Oak  Street  and  Morris  schools 
the  principals  do  only  a  limited  amount  of  teaching,  and  the  principal 
of  the  High  School  devotes  all  of  his  time  to  supervision  and  adminis- 
tration. At  the  other  buildings,  except  Wilson  and  Cleveland,  substitutes 
relieve  the  principal  at  regular  intervals. 

THE   SUPERVISION    OF   INSTRUCTION. 

The  principals  are  experienced  and  capable  teachers  who  have  been 
selected  for  their  present  positions  with  considerable  discrimination. 
They  are  enthusiastic  and  vigilant  in  their  work.  Furthermore,  they 
have  the  cooperation  of  their  teachers.  The  teaching  staffs  of  the  sev- 
eral schools  are  well  organized,  and  even  details  are  not  neglected.  The 
effectiveness  of  the  class-room  supervision  is  evident  in  the  work  of  the 
teachers  and  in  the  deportment  of  the  school  as  a  whole.  In  the  matters 
of  routine  the  supervision  has  been  very  effective. 

The  supervision  in  Leavenworth  is  of  the  type  which  is  to  be  found 
in  most  schools.  Several  principals  mentioned  testing  the  work  of  a 
teacher.  These  tests  were  oral  and  the  estimate  made  of  the  ability  of 
the  class  necessarily  was  a  matter  of  opinion  on  the  part  of  the  principal. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        25 

We  are  just  beginning  to  develop  a  new  type  of  supervision  in  which 
scientific  methods  of  procedure  will  take  the  place  of  personal  opinion  or 
prejudice  in  the  valuation  of  methods  and  results.  This  type  of  super- 
vision, because  of  its  newness,  we  could  hardly  hope  to  find  in  Leaven- 
worth. 

The  Courtis  Standard  Tests  in  arithmetic  have  been  standardized  and 
are  very  convenient  to  use.  We  have  two  scales  of  handwriting  which 
may  be  used  with  profit.  Other  tests  and  scales  are  in  course  of  prepara- 
tion. Within  a  few  years  supervisors  will  have  at  their  command  tests 
and  scales  which  will  make  possible  an  entirely  different  type  of  super- 
vision, in  which  facts  will  take  the  place  of  opinion.  In  Leavenworth  the 
application  of  measurement  to  the  work  of  the  schools  should  be  under 
the  direction  of  the  superintendent,  but  he  can  not  take  the  time  neces- 
sary for  the  actual  work  without  seriously  impairing  his  usefulness  to 
the  community.  Besides,  it  is  more  properly  the  type  of  work  which 
should  be  done  by  the  building  principals  as  a  part  of  their  work  of 
supervision.  In  the  case  of  the  Third  Avenue,  Oak  Street  and  Morris 
schools,  the  building  principals  can  do  much  in  this  way  to  increase  their 
service  to  their  respective  schools  and  the  community. 

THE    SUPERINTENDENT    SHOULD   HAVE   A   SECRETARY. 

Perhaps  the  most  effective  work  of  the  present  superintendent  has 
been  in  creating  a  stronger  community  interest  in  the  public  schools. 
The  most  tangible  results  of  his  labors  in  this  direction  are  the  parent- 
teacher  associations  which  have  been  formed  within  the  present  year. 
By  temperament  he  is  peculiarly  suited  to  render  this  type  of  service, 
and  he  would  be  able  to  serve  the  community  better  if  he  were  provided 
with  a  secretary,  who  could  attend  to  many  petty  details  which  he  is 
now  compelled  to  take  time  for. 

At  present  the  superintendent  must  type  all  his  letters,  answer  all 
telephone  calls  except  such  as  the  clerk  of  the  board  answers,  notify 
teachers  of  all  meetings,  file  transfer  cards,  etc.  Quarterly  reports  have 
been  issued  this  year  in  mimeographed  form.  These  are  valuable,  and 
the  practice  should  be  continued  with  a  more  complete  report  at  the  end 
of  the  year.  Under  the  present  arrangement  the  superintendent  must  do 
all  the  work  of  preparing  these  reports,  even  the  mimeographing. 

This  practice  is  expensive.  It  makes  the  highest-salaried  man-in  the 
whole  school  system  spend  a  large  amount  of  his  time  doing  what  a  $50 
to  $75  secretary  could  do  just  as  efficiently,  perhaps  more  so,  since  she 
would  be  trained  for  the  work  and  would  not  have  to  do  it  piecemeal. 
The  high-school  principal,  who  does  no  teaching,  is  provided  with  a 
secretary,  and  most  of  the  other  principals  receive  clerical  assistance 
from  the  substitute  teachers. 

A  secretary  to  the  superintendent  should  be  a  person  who  has  had 
sufficient  experience  as  a  teacher  to  understand  the  work  of  a  school  sys- 
tem and  who  has  had  office  training  besides.  With  a  secretary  of  this 
type,  the  work  which  the  superintendent  is  now  doing  would  be  more 
efficient  and  the  scope  of  his  services  could  be  enlarged. 


26  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

ASSISTANT   SUPERINTENDENT   RECOMMENDED. 

The  Survey  Staff  believes  the  school  system  would  be  much  strength- 
ened by  the  addition  of  an  assistant  superintendent  or  educational  expert 
who  would  rank  between  the  superintendent  and  the  high-school  princi- 
pal. This  man  should  be  vitally  interested  in  public-school  work,  par- 
ticularly the  work  of  the  elementary  school,  should  have  had  experience 
as  a  city  superintendent  and  as  a  teacher  in  the  elementary  school,  and 
must  have  had  recent  training  in  the  field  of  education,  especially  in 
school  administration  of  the  scientific  type. 

He  should  be  placed  in  charge  of  the  normal-training  work,  but  should 
not  devote  all  of  his  time  to  teaching.  Under  the  direction  of  the  super- 
intendent, he  should  guide  the  teachers  in  doing  constructive  work  in  the 
direction  of  reorganizing  the  subject  matter  of  the  program  of  studies 
and  in  the  testing  of  results.  He  should  take  the  lead  in  placing  the 
teaching  and  supervision  in  Leavenworth  on  a  scientific  basis;  that  is, 
upon  a  basis  of  facts  and  not  opinions.  As  we  point  out  in  another  place, 
the  principals  should  be  in  immediate  charge  of  this  work,  but  to  make 
such  work  most  valuable  to  the  community  there  must  be  a  source  of  ex- 
pert advice  and  a  clearing-house  for  the  facts  gathered.  Data  which  are 
collected  by  means  of  tests  have  only  small  value  until  they  are  compared 
with  other  data  which  have  been  collected  in  the  same  way.  Such  a  man 
as  we  recommend  would  be  very  valuable  in  comparing  and  interpreting 
the  data  collected ;  and  in  order  that  there  may  be  uniformity  it  should  be 
collected  under  his  supervision. 

To  those  who  may  claim  that  this  is  just  what  the  superintendent  is 
for,  it  should  be  pointed  out  that  the  superintendent's  office  has  two 
functions  which  are  quite  distinct.  The  one  is  primarily  administrative, 
the  second  supervisory.  In  a  community  the  size  of  Leavenworth,  with  a 
teaching  staff  of  nearly  100  teachers  and  an  annual  pay  roll  of  over  $65,- 
000,  the  total  work  to  be  done  is  too  much  for  one  man  if  a  high  degree  of 
efficiency  is  attained.  The  Survey  Staff  believes  that  the  superintendent 
can  be  most  valuable  to  the  community  by  continuing  the  things  which 
he  is  now  doing,  i.  e.,  maintaining  a  general  supervision  over  the  system, 
interesting  the  community  in  the  schools,  furnishing  inspiration  for  the 
teachers,  and  performing  the  other  similar  duties  of  his  office.  This  is 
enough  for  one  man  to  do  well,  and  doing  the  type  of  detailed  work  such 
as  we  have  recommended  tends  to  incapaciate  a  man  for  the  other  duties. 
By  adopting  this  recommendation  Leavenworth  will  align  her  school  sys- 
tem with  the  most  progressive  in  the  country. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        27 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  SCHOOL  BOARD. 

Walter  B.  Smith. 

THE  Boards  of  Education  in  first-  and  second-class  cities  in  Kansas  are 
organized  under  a  general  statute  of  the  legislature  of  .1911.  They  con- 
sist of  six  members  elected  for  a  term  of  four  years  each,  three  being 
elected  every  two  years.  Before  the  enactment  of  this  law  the  Board  of 
Education  of  Leaven  worth  had  consisted  of  twelve  members  elected  for 
a  two-year  term.  •  «,. 

The  board  is  organized  with*  a  president,  vice-president,  clerk,  and 
treasurer.  The  president  exercises  the  functions  usually  devolving  upon 
that  officer,  and  the  city  treasurer  serves  ex  officio  as  treasurer  for  the 
board,  receiving  $50  a  year  therefor.  Since  the  money  is  banked  by 
sealed  bids  there  are  no  perquisites.  "The  clerk  is  chosen  by  the  board 
and  is  required  to  furnish  bond  for  $1000.  This  clerk  keeps  a  journal  of 
the  proceedings  of  board  meetings,  looks  after  the  records,  books  and 
documents  of  the  board,  countersigns  all  warrants  upon  the  treasurer, 
and  must  publish  an  annual  report  giving  details  of  the  board's  fiscal 
operations,  and  perform  such  other  duties  as  the  board  may  require. 
This  office  has  long  been  an  important  one  in  Leavenworth.  It  pays  a 
salary  of  $1200  per  year,  and  for  the  last  ten  years  has  been  filled  by  the 
present  incumbent. 

The  result  of  a  good  salary  and  the  continuous  service  of  the  clerk  are 
well  demonstrated  in  Leavenworth.  An  excellent  system  of  records  is 
kept.  The  minutiae  of  administration  of  such  an  office  call  for  cumulative 
knowledge,  and  only  long  service  can  meet  the  incessant  demands  for 
petty  detailed  services.  Supplies  for  a  large  school  system  are  multi- 
farious and  multitudinous.  Specifications  for  contracts  and  bids  for 
supplies,  blank  forms  for  records,  and  requisitions,  orderly  methods  of 
filing  information,  records  and  plans,  and  stowing  away  materials,  call 
for  not  only  a  special  type  of  mind,  but  can  be  more  effectively  done  with 
long  practice  and  continuous  experience.  The  board  is  to  be  commended 
for  this  general  policy,  and  the  completeness  of  the  records  and  business 
formulas  would  indicate  that  their  choice  of  a  clerk  is  also  worthy. 

POWERS   OF   THE   BOARD. 

The  powers  of  the  Board  of  Education  are  full  and  complete  and  their 
duties  are  numerous.  They  are  to  "make  all  necessary  rules  for  the 
government  of  the  schools"  and  "to  exercise  the  sole  control  over  the 
public  schools  and  school  property  of  such  city."  They  are  to  elect  a 
superintendent,  teachers,  janitors,  a  truant  officer,  clerk,  etc.  All  fiscal 
operations  must  be  under  their  control.  The  compulsory-education  law 
must  be  enforced,  and  definite  provisions  for  safety  in  case  of  fire  must 
be  made. 

From  a  comparative  standpoint,  the  most  important  power  lodged 
with  the  board,  however,  is  the  levy  of  taxes.  It  has  full  control  of  the 


28  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

levy  for  school  purposes.  The  rate  may  be  made  whatever  it  pleases  up 
to  six  mills  on  the  dollar  for  running  expenses,  and  above  that  the  board 
may  levy  enough  to  carry  the  bonded  debt  of  the  school  district.  With 
these  powers,  several  of  the  boards  in  both  first-  and  second-class  cities 
of  Kansas  have  levied  seven  mills  on  the  dollar  and  above. 

COMPOSITION    OF   THE   BOARD. 

An  analysis  of  the  various  boards  of  education  since  1894  indicates  an 
average  term  of  service  of  about  four  and  three-fourths  years.  The 
average  length  of  service  of  the  present  board  is  four  years.  Frequent 
elections  under  the  old  system  led  to  many  short  terms,  and  consequently 
to  a  lack  of  the  necessary  continuity  of  service  to  produce  high  efficiency. 
The  new  method  of  election  for  four  years  is  sure  to  work  a  helpful  re- 
form along  this  line. 

There  are  two  weaknesses  inseparable  from  short  terms  in  public- 
service  corporations.  One  is  that  the  duties  required  are  so  complex  that 
the  novice  may  assume  little  responsibility  and  become  a  figurehead.  The 
other  is  a  far  more  serious  danger.  It  is  generally  recognized  that  in  a 
democracy  like  ours  the  most  dangerous  man,  whether  in  politics,  religion, 
business  or  the  schools,  is  a  man  with  convictions  and  no  knowledge.  All 
of  us  are  prone  to  act  most  impulsively  and  precipitately  in  the  fields 
where  we  are  least  informed.  It  is  a  matter  of  general  observation  and 
comment  that  the  new  man  on  a  public-service  board  is  likely  to  be 
willing  to  act  first  and  think  afterwards.  This  applies  especially  in  re- 
form movements,  churches  and  schools,  where  every  one  has  pretty 
clearly  defined  feelings  and  convictions. 

It  is  greatly  to  be  desired  in  school  boards  that  thoughtful  men  should 
be  chosen  and  continuity  of  service  be  maintained  where  possible.  The 
Survey  Staff  is  consequently  ready  to  urge  upon  the  Leavenworth  public 
the  desirability  of  reflecting  good  men,  and  upon  members  of  the  school 
board  the  responsibility  of  serving  long  enough  terms  to  enable  them  to 
become  fully  conversant  with  the  school  system  and  school  needs.  This 
will  guard  against  hasty  action  and  enable  boards  to  work  out  construc- 
tive plans  far  enough  in  advance  to  insure  efficiency  and  economy  in  any 
progressive  measures. 

A  school  board,  to  be  well  balanced,  should  represent  various  interests, 
and  big  enough  men  should  be  elected  to  consider  the  needs  of  various- 
parts  of  the  city.  Undue  attention  to  geographical  locality,  however,  is 
pernicious  and  should  be  avoided.  The  caliber  of  men  elected  is  much 
more  important  than  the  place  of  residence  of  the  board  member.  Under 
the  old  system  of  ward  election  this  dependence  upon  geographical  loca- 
tion was  necessary,  but  under  the  new  system  its  evils  may  easily  be 
avoided.  Any  citizen  with  a  sufficient  sense  of  civic  and  school  responsi- 
bility would  represent  the  whole  city,  not  merely  the  wants  of  a  particular 
locality. 

A  history  of  the  Leavenworth  board  indicates  that  a  representative 
body  of  citizens  have  filled  those  offices.  In  the  last  twenty  years,  seven- 
teen merchants,  nine  professional  men,  seven  manufacturers,  four  con- 
tractors, three  bankers  and  thirteen  other  representative  business  men 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.       29 

have  served  the  community  as  members  of  the  school  board.  Of  the 
present  board  two  are  professional  men,  two  are  merchants,  one  is  an 
editor,  and  one  is  a  railroad  man.  Two  were  born  and  educated  abroad, 
one  in  New  York,  and  the  other  three  are  natives  of  Leavenworth.  All 
are  actively  interested  in  the  Leavenworth  schools ;  two  have  served  eight 
years,  two  three  years,  and  two  are  new  members  the  present  year.  No 
one  was  found  to  question  the  public  spirit  or  unselfish  zeal  of  a  single 
member. 

WORK   OF   THE   BOARD. 

They  are  required  by  law  to  meet  the  first  Monday  in  each  month  and 
at  call.  The  minutes  for  the  present  school  year  were  read  by  the  writer, 
and  interviews  were  held  with  each  member  (except  one,  who  was  in 
Europe).  All  regular  meetings  have  been  held,  and  one  called  meeting. 
These  meetings  have  been  from  less  than  one  hour  to  more  than  two 
hours  in  length. 

The  board  is  divided  by  the  president  into  five  committees,  each  mem- 
ber, aside  from  the  president,  being  chairman  of  a  committee.  These 
committees  are  as  follows: 

1.  Ways  and  Means  and  Supplies. 

2.  High  School,  School  Laws  and  Regulations,  and  Libraries. 

3.  Teachers  and  Salaries,  Textbooks  and  Course  of  Studies. 

4.  Buildings  and  Grounds  and  Janitors. 

5.  Furniture,  Apparatus,  Printing  and  Auditing. 

These  committees  are  the  real  working  features  of  the  board,  as  indi- 
cated both  by  conference  and  by  the  length  of  time  spent  in  general  meet- 
ings. In  fact,  it  may  well  be  questioned  if  sufficient  time  is  spent  by  the 
board  as  a  body  in  session  to  develop  a  full  spirit  of  cooperation  or  a  large 
enough  body  of  information  about  the  school  system  as  a  whole.  Con- 
ferences with  the  board  indicated  a  general  rather  than  a  specific  knowl- 
edge of  the  conditions  and  needs  of  the  schools.  Inquiries  failed  to  elicit 
information  that  any  member  had  done  much  school  visitation  or  thought 
over  the  situation  enough  to  have  any  constructive  plan  for  the  better- 
ment of  the  schools.  While  all  were  open  to  conviction  and  ready  to 
accept  suggestions  for  improvement,  the  attitude  was  a  passive  rather 
than  an  active  one. 

Since  the  members  of  the  board  are  not  technical  experts,  this  attitude 
is  immensely  to  be  preferred  to  such  meddling  interference  with  purely 
educational  affairs  as  is  often  found  in  boards  of  education,  notably  in 
the  Portland  system,  as  shown  by  the  recently  published  survey  of  the 
Portland  schools.  But  a  little  more  of  a  forward  look,  a  little  more  con- 
tact with  actual  schoolroom  work,  a  little  more  knowledge  of  what  is 
being  done,  a  little  more  conference  with  teachers  and  principals,  and  a 
little  more  of  specific  planning  for  the  ever-enlarging  demands  of  educa- 
tion in  the  matter  of  equipment,  will  yield  a  rich  harvest  in  putting  the 
Leavenworth  Public  Schools  to  the  front. 

An  illustration  of  the  need  of  advance  planning  came  out  in  con- 
ferences with  several  different  members  of  the  board.  They  are  unani- 
mous in  feeling  that  the  greatest  need  of  the  schools  at  present  is  more 
room  about  the  buildings  for  playground  purposes.  In  discussing  costs 


30  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

of  adjacent  property  it  was  agreed  that  any  knowledge  of  plans  for  the 
purchase  of  property  would  lead,  in  the  usual  patriotic  American  way,  to 
an  increase  of  the  cost  of  such  property.  Yet  no  plans  were  being  made 
until  the  money  for  such  purchases  was  at  hand,  although  a  knowledge 
of  the  presence  of  such  plans  would  guarantee  that  this  additional  price 
would  be  demanded.  Some  of  the  members  were  unaware  that  needed 
property  could  be  acquired  under  the  right  of  eminent  domain.  Since  the 
board  are  agreed,  it  seems  that  the  wisest  and  by  far  the  most  economical 
scheme  would  be  to  set  aside  a  certain  minimum  amount  of  money  each 
year  to  be  used  in  this  expansion. 

THE  RELATIONS   OF  THE  BOARD   TO   THE   SUPERINTENDENT. 

The  board  is  to  be  highly  commended  for  its  policy  in  leaving  purely 
educational  problems  to  the  authorities  selected  for  that  purpose.  The 
law  gives  practically  complete  powers  to  the  board,  and  many  boards  are 
unwise  enough  not  to  delegate  that  authority  to  experts.  Many  elect  a 
high-priced  superintendent,  who  ought  to  know  his  business,  and  then 
proceed  to  tie  his  hands  with  rules  and  regulations  so  that  his  work  is 
crippled.  Education  is  a  progressive  business,  and  only  a  progressive  , 
superintendent  can  keep  up  with  it;  and  he  can  not  do  it  if  interfered 
with  and  hampered  by  a  politically  chosen  or  unprogressive  board. 

The  proper  lines  of  demarcation  between  the  functions  of  a  school 
board  and  a  superintendent  are  perfectly  clear.  The  relations  should  be 
exactly  similar  to  those  between  the  board  of  directors  of  a  railway  or 
manufacturing  or  banking  corporation  and  the  active  managers  of  those 
concerns.  The  directors  advise  and  recommend,  and,  if  need  be,  check 
the  president  in  too  rapid  expansion  of  the  business  or  in  a  manifestly 
unwise  policy.  But  the  successful  corporation  is  managed  by  a  generally 
unhampered  and  well-supported  president  whose  reputation  is  at  stake 
and  whose  interests  are  bound  up  with  those  of  the  stockholders.  The 
same  must  be  true  of  a  school  system.  The  superintendent  should  be 
very  carefully  and  wisely  chosen,  and  then  held  fully  responsible  for  the 
success  of  the  schools.  Just  as  the  president  of  a  railroad  must  be  free 
to  select  his  expert  assistants,  so  must  the  superintendent  be  free  to  select 
his  teachers,  even  his  janitors.  When  he  proves  unable  to  do  this  wisely 
he  has  proved  his  unfitness  for  his  position. 

The  Staff  is  glad  to  be  able  to  say  that  this  higher  policy  is  followed 
by  the  Leavenworth  board.  They  are  to  be  commended  for  electing  their 
superintendent  for  two  years — as  long  a  term  as  the  Kansas  law  allows. 
And  they  stand  back  of  him  in  his  policies.  So  far  as  could  be  deter- 
mined, he  is  allowed  full  power  in  the  selection  of  his  expert  assistants. 
Teaching  efficiency  depends  largely  upon  a  settled  feeling — an  identifica- 
tion of  the  teacher  with  the  whole  responsible  life  of  the  community. 
The  teacher  must  feel  that  his  position  is  secure  so  long  as  efficient  serv- 
ice is  rendered,  and  only  so  long.  We  are  glad  to  be  able  to  say  that  the 
Leavenworth  teachers  feel  much  of  the  necessary  security  in  their  posi- 
tions. It  is  unfortunate  that  teachers  are  employed,  not  as  other  people 
are,  but  to  be  automatically  discharged  at  the  close  of  a  year;  but  that 
being  the  custom,  the  Leavenworth  board  do  the  next  best  thing  by 
making  employment  fairly  permanent. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.       31 

THE   PURCHASE   OF   SUPPLIES. 

While  this  excellent  business  principle  is  followed  with  reference  to 
the  superintendent  and  the  teachers,  there  is  a  strange  lapse  from 
business  practice  in  the  purchase  of  supplies.  The  factory,  or  street- 
railway  system,  or  other  large  business  that  allowed  a  number  of  inexpert 
persons  to  purchase  supplies  would  soon  lose  out  in  the  competitive 
struggle.  But  that  is  exactly  what  is  often  allowed  to  happen  in  public 
business;  and  the  Leavenworth  school  board  has  fallen  into  this  an- 
tiquated practice.  Buying  supplies  for  as  large  and  varied  a  business 
as  the  Leavenworth  schools  is  business  fit  only  for  an  expert  fiscal  agent. 
Most  of  these  supplies  are  prepared  by  specializing  firms  and  may  be 
handled  cheaply  in  large  quantities.  A  good  fiscal  agent  knows  the  firms 
making  them  and  can  buy  directly.  Such  an  expert  is  required  to  learn 
the  quality  and  specifications  of  articles  needed  and  to  get  unquestioned 
supplies  without  delay. 

The  present  board  have  the  confidence  of  Leavenworth.  They  are 
honest.  But  not  a  member  would  maintain  that  he  is  an  expert  buyer  of 
school  apparatus.  Yet  he  attempts  the  role.  A  requisition  for  supplies  is 
made  out  by  the  clerk;  it  is  countersigned  by  the  superintendent,  and  then 
sent  to  the  appropriate  committee.  The  chairman  of  that  committee 
will  then  have  to  see  his  committee  and  make  the  purchase  or  submit  it  to 
the  board.  Even  small  and  necessary  supplies  are  thus  delayed.  And 
what  member  of  the  board  feels  that  his  judgment  is  good  in  regard  to 
the  particular  sort  of  things  usually  needed  about  a  school  building? 

An  illustration  was  at  hand  during  the  Survey.  A  field  meet  was 
being  planned  by  the  director  of  physical  training  for  the  last  of  April. 
Supplies  were  asked  for  during  the  latter  part  of  February.  They  were' 
needed  very  soon.  No  one  objected  to  their  purchase.  A  requisition  was 
made  out  and  was  accepted  by  the  board  at  its  meeting  on  March  2. 
The  supplies  will  cost  about  fifty  dollars.  It  is  now  the  18th  of  March, 
and  bids  are  not  called  for  until  April  6.  The  supplies,  therefore,  can 
not  be  expected  before  the  middle  of  April — six  weeks  to  make  a  pur- 
chase no  one  objected  to;  and  this  by  a  board  which  the  public  expects 
to  handle  expeditiously  the  business  end  of  public-school  work. 

There  might  be  some  excuse  for  this  unbusinesslike  and  extravagant 
method  of  buying  supplies  if  the  means  were  not  at  hand  for  remedying 
it.  But  the  proper  organization  already  exists.  A  clerk  is  paid  a  good 
salary  to  look  after  details  for  the  board.  It  is  easy  and  natural  for  him 
to  learn  the  specific  needs  of  the  schools.  He  knows  what  sort  of  brooms, 
dusters,  crayon,  paper,  gymnasium  apparatus,  laboratory  supplies,  etc., 
are  used,  because  he  has  to  handle  them  from  the  storeroom.  His  whole 
time  and  interest  are  centered  about  his  work;  therefore  he  becomes  the 
natural  fiscal  agent  for  the  board.  Such  should  be  his  chief  work,  and 
the  Leavenworth  board  should  return  to  its  former  practice  in  this 
matter,  allowing  the  clerk  to  purchase  the  supplies  under  proper  super- 
vision, or  else  it  should  appoint  some  other  expert  fiscal  agent. 

Another  evil  is  in  the  results  upon  the  schools.  Teachers  ask  for 
Supplies,  which  are  delayed  so  long  that  a  large  share  of  their  value  has 


32  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

disappeared  before  they  can  be  obtained.  This  happens  a  few  times,  and 
the  teachers  grow  indifferent  toward  the  use  of  up-to-date  tools  and 
illustrative  materials.  They  either  do  without  or  through  their  own  zeal 
go  to  the  expense  of  buying  them  out  of  their  own  savings.  Several  of 
the  Staff  found  teachers  using  expensively  acquired  private  equipment 
rather  than  go  through  the  elaborate  process  of  red-tape  required  to  get 
it  through  the  board.  This  puts  a  tax  upon  the  zealous  and  progressive 
teacher  and  discourages  and  disheartens  the  less  efficient  and  less  un- 
selfish ones.  The  total  result  is  that  the  net  salary  of  the  poor  teacher 
is  larger  than  that  of  her  more  progressive  sister  teacher. 

On  the  whole  it  may  be  said  that  the  present  board  is  doing  its 
allotted  work  effectively.  It  is  honest,  sticks  to  its  proper  function  in 
general,  shows  courage  in  levying  a  fair  rate  of  taxes  at  present  in  the 
face  of  a  not  too  generous  public  feeling,  and  gives  unselfishly  of  its 
time  and  energy  to  an  unpaid  public  service.  Any  criticism  of  its  work 
must  be  largely  negative;  that  is,  that  it  may  sometimes  lack  foresight 
or  depth  of  knowledge  of  school  problems  or  enough  intensive  study  of 
the  actual  needs  of  the  school  system  to  lay  plans  in  advance  for  the 
constructive  program  much  needed  in  the  near  future  of  Leavenworth. 

V/  RECOMMENDATIONS. 

1.  That  the  board  be  careful  at  all  .times  to  continue  to  stick  to  its 
own  work — the  business  administration  of  the  schools — interfering  only 
when  necessary  with  the  educational  administration. 

2.  That  the  former  excellent  practice  of  turning  over  the  purchasing 
of  supplies  to  the  clerk  of  the  board  be  returned  to,  or  an  expert  fiscal 
agent  be  employed. 

3.  That  a  definite  budgetary  system  be  established,  whereby  all  income 
shall  be  estimated  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  and  parceled  out  to  meet 
the  needs  of  the  schools  as  they  have  been  reported  through  principals 
and  superintendent. 

4.  That  the  present  moderate  tax  rate  of  six  mills  on  the  dollar  be 
maintained  for  the  running  expenses  of  the  schools,  for  the  more  liberal 
purchase  of  equipment,   and  for  the  necessary  repairs  and  remodeling 
needed  in  some  of  the  half-century-old  buildings  to  adapt  them  more  fully 
to  up-to-date  school  work. 

5.  That  an  expert  school  architect  be  consulted  for  this  remodeling  and 
for  future  school  expansions. 

6.  That  a  definite  and  comprehensive  plan  be  carefully  worked  out  for 
the  purchase  of  additional  land  about  some  of  the  buildings,  and  a  certain 
sum  of  money  be  set  apart  in  each  annual  budget  for  this  purpose. 

7.  That  a  similar  definite  plan  be  devised  for  some  of  the  expansions 
which  all  recognize  will  be  demanded  in  the  near  future,  many  of  which 
are  recommended  in  other  parts  of  this  report. 

8.  Finally,  that  through  the  press,  the  parent-teacher   associations, 
and  the  various  cultural  and  business  organizations  of  the  city,  a  cam- 
paign of  publicity  be  inaugurated  for  the  education  of  public  sentiment 
regarding  the  needs  of  the  schools  and  of  the  commercial  and  other  values 
of  meeting  these  needs  in  the  building  up  of  a  greater  Leavenworth. 


J 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        33 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ATTENDANCE,  PROMOTION  AND  RECORDS. 

Walter  S.  Monroe. 
THE    SCHOOL  CENSUS. 

IN  A  CITY  the  size  of  Leavenworth  the  first  prerequisite  for  securing 
the  enrollment  of  children  in  school  is  a  reliable  census  of  all  the  children 
of  school  age  who  are  living  within  the  school  district.  From  this  census 
list  teachers  or  some  other  authorized  person  should  check  off  those  who 
enter  school  at  the  beginning  of  the  school  year.  The  names  of  those 
whose  age  falls  within  the  period  *of  compulsory  attendance,  and  who 
have  not  enrolled  in  school,  should  be  given  to  the  truant  officer  for  in- 
vestigation. In  this  way  all  cases  of  nonattendance  can  be  checked  up, 
except  for  pupils  who  have  moved  into  the  district  since  the  census  was 
taken.  For  these  cases  the  school  has  to  depend  upon  the  cooperative 
spirit  of  the  community  and  the  acquaintance  of  the  teachers  and  the 
truant  officer  with  the  community. 

In  Leavenworth  the  school  census  is  taken  under  the  direction  of 
the  clerk  of  the  Board  of  Education,  who  employs  competent  persons  to 
make  the  necessary  house-to-house  canvass.  The  census  is  taken  upon 
the  blanks  provided  by  the  state .  superintendent  for  that  purpose.  The 
data  collected  are  transferred  to  cards  for  the  purpose  of  convenient 
filing,  a  card  being  made  for  each  child.  These  cards  are  filed  alphabeti- 
cally, and  are  used  by  the  truant  officer  and  in  making  out  age  certificates. 
Each  year  a  new  census  is  taken  and  a  new  set  of  cards  is  made  out. 
There  are  on  file  now  the  cards  for  the  last  six  years.  The  only  use 
which  is  made  of  the  data  of  the  previous  year  is  when  a  parent  or  child 
questions  the  accuracy  of  the  data  for  the  current  year. 

The  weakness  of  the  system  is  in  not  providing  an  automatic  check 
upon  human  fallibility.  Errors  may  be  made  by  parents  in  giving  the 
age  of  a  child.  The  enumerator  may  make  an  error  in  entering  the  data. 
There  may  be  errors  in  transcribing  the  data  upon  the  cards.  And  last, 
children  may  be  missed  even  in  a  careful  enumeration.  To  guard  against 
these  possible  errors  it  is  recommended  that  instead  of  there  being  a  new 
set  of  cards  each  year,  the  data  collected  in  the  blank  books  be  checked 
on  the  cards  of  the  previous  year.  If  a  pupil  had  moved,  the  changed 
address  could  be  added  on  the  card  or  a  new  card  made.  New  cards 
would  be  made  for  those  who  had  moved  into  the  district  within  the  year 
and  for  those  who  had  attained  school  age.  The  cards  remaining  from 
the  previous  year  after  this  was  done  would  include,  first,  those  who  had 
passed  school  age,  and  those  who  had  either  died  or  moved  from  the  dis- 
trict within  the  year,  and  second,  those  who  were  overlooked  in  taking  the 
census. 

Such  a  plan  would  not  call  for  more  labor  than  is  now  required  to 
make  out  a  new  set  of  cards  each  year.  It  would  have  the  added  advan- 


34  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

tages  just  indicated,  and  would  provide  a  permanent  and  continuous 
school  census.  During  the  school  year  cards  should  be  added  to  this  file 
for  the  children  who  move  into  the  district. 

THE  FUNCTION   OF  THE   SCHOOL  CENSUS. 

A  school  census  should  have  functions  in  addition  to  giving  a  count  of 
the  children  of  school  age  living  within  the  district.  For  instance,  from 
a  school  census  the  number  and  age  of  children  living  in  the  district  and 
not  attending  school  could  be  easily  determined.  Such  data,  together 
with  the  grade  attained  by  the  child  before  leaving  school,  would  portray 
some  of  the  educational  needs  of  the  community.  In  a  city  the  size  of 
Leavenworth  it  doubtless  would  show  several  hundred  boys  and  girls 
between  the  ages  of  fifteen  and  twenty-one  who  are  not  in  school,  and 
some  of  whom  have  not  even  finished  the  eighth  grade.  These  young 
people  represent  an  urgent  educational  need  of  the  community,  and  if  our 
schools  were  conducted  as  a  private  business,  accurate  data  concerning 
them  would  be  collected  and  used  in  the  administration  of  the  schools. 

ATTENDANCE. 

A  comparison  of  the  age  distribution  of  the  school  census  for  1913 
with  the  age  distribution  of  the  enrollment  for  the  year  1913-'14  shows 
that  there  are  826  more  children  between  the  ages  of  eight  and  fifteen 
years  enumerated  in  the  school  census  than  are  enrolled  in  the 
Leavenworth  public  schools.  The  enrollment  in  the  parochial  schools  of 
the  city  for  the  year  1913-'14  was  given  as  1137.  Since  the  work  of  the 
parochial  schools  does  not  extend  beyond  the  eighth  grade,  except  in  one 
instance,  these  figures  indicate  roughly  that  the  compulsory-attendance 
law  is  effectively  administered  in  Leavenworth. 

TABLE  III. 
Age  Distribution  of  Children  Enumerated  in  School  Census,  1913. 


Number  Per  cent 

Age.  of  children,  of  total. 

5 382  5.8 

6 406  6.2 

7 345  5.3 

8 370  5.6 

9 323  5.0 

10 326  5.0 

11 332  5.0 

12..  322  5.0 


Number  Per  cent 

Age.  of  children.1  of  total. 

13. 351  5.4 

14 388  5.9 

15 361  5.5 

16 457  6.8 

17 493  7.5 

18 560  8.5 

19 529  8.0 

20 572  8.7 


At  the  end  of  the  first  month  of  school,  each  teacher  is  required  by  the 
rules  of  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools  to  file  with  the  superintendent  a 
list  of  the  pupils  enrolled  under  the  teacher.  Thus  by  October  first  the 
truant  officer  has  the  data  necessary  for  checking  up  the  school  at- 
tendance. The  truant  officer  has  a  regular  schedule  for  visiting  the  sev- 
eral buildings.  He  also  visits  regularly  the  parochial  schools.  Whenever 
a  transfer  of  a  pupil  is  made,  a  card  giving  the  facts  is  filed  with  the 
truant  officer.  It  is  his  duty  to  check  up  the  transfer.  Thus  if  the 
transfer  is  simply  an  excuse  for  leaving  school  it  is  detected  at  once. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.       35 

REPORTS  OF  TRUANT  OFFICER. 

A  summary  of  the  annual  reports  of  the  truant  officer  for  the  past  four 
years  is  given  in  Table  IV: 

TABLE  IV. 
Summary  of  Reports  of  Truant  Officers. 

1908-'09.     1909-'10. 


Number    of    cases    investigated  .........  0  468  303  312  317 

Number  of  pupils  placed  in  school  ......  0  247  62  58  43 

Juvenile  court: 

Before  court    ...................  0  5  13  4  4 

Convictions    ....................  0  5  *13  4  4 

Other  courts: 

Before  court    ...............  ?...  0  0  0  0  0 

Convictions    ....................  0  0  0  0  0 

Sent  to  industrial  schools: 

Boys     .........................  0   „.  2  3  4  4 

Girls     .........................  0  0  1  0  0 


*  Nine  boys  paroled. 

The  drop  from  247  pupils  placed  in  school  in  1909-'10  to  62  in  1910-'ll 
is  significant.  It  shows  the  influence  of  a  vigorous  administration  of  the 
compulsory-attendance  law.  The  fact  that  conviction  was  secured  in 
every  case  which  was  brought  before  the  court  indicates  that  the  court  is 
used  only  as  a  last  resort. 

From  conferences  with  the  superintendent  and  the  truant  officer,  it  ap- 
peared that  the  law  was  well  and  intelligently  administered  so  far  as  con- 
cerned the  pupils  who  entered  school  in  September.  For  those  who  do  not 
voluntarily  enter  school,  the  system  followed  has  a  very  evident  loophole 
when  applied  to  a  community  as  large  as  Leavenworth.  A  month  must 
elapse  before  the  attendance  can  be  checked  up,  and  then  the  burden  of 
checking  is  placed  upon  the  truant  officer,  who  has  no  clerical  help.  And 
the  fact  that  the  teacher's  lists  are  on  large  sheets  of  paper  makes  the 
checking  very  tedious. 

In  order  that  there  may  be  an  earlier  checking  up,  it  is  recommended 
that  the  teachers  be  required  to  report  the  pupils  enrolled  at  the  end  of  the 
first  week  of  school,  and  to  report  these  data  on  cards  similar  to  those  on 
which  the  census  data  are  recorded.  When  the  enrollment  cards  are 
alphabetized  it  will  be  comparatively  easy  to  determine  if  all  children 
are  in  school  who  should  be. 

Children  who  are  between  the  ages  of  fourteen  and  sixteen  must  file 
with  their  employer  age  certificates.  In  Leavenworth  age  certificates  are 
issued  by  the  clerk  of  the  Board  of  Education,  who  has  access  to  the 
alphabetized  census  record.  The  form  supplied  by  the  commissioner  of 
labor  and  state  factory  inspector  is  used.  No  record  of  age  certificates 
issued  is  kept,  except  that  the  card  is  taken  from  the  file  and  placed  in  a 
separate  file  after  being  marked.  It  would  seem  worth  while  to  keep  at 
least  a  record  of  the  pupil's  age,  sex,  grade  attained  in  school,  and 
reason  for  leaving.* 

*  Since  this  was  written  a  form  has  been  devised  by  the  clerk  of  the  board,  on  which 
this  and  other  information  is  to  be  recorded  in  the  future. 


36: 


KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


TABLE  V. 

Distribution  of  pupils  according  to  number  of  days  attending  school,  not 
including  those  who  moved  into  the  district  or  moved  from  the  district 
during  the  year  and  who  transferred  to  and  from  the  parochial  schools. 

ELEMENTARY   SCHOOL,    1912-'13. 


Number  Number 

days  attended.  of  pupils. 

180-176 815 

175-171 304 

170-166 175 

165-161 117 


160-156 
155-151, 
150-146, 
145-141 , 
140-136. 
135-131, 
130-126. 
125-121 . 
120-116. 
115-111. 
110-106. 
105-101. 
100-  96. 


81 

59 

49 

42 

36 

20 

13 

12 

15 

6 

6 

3 

4 


Per  cent 
of  total. 

45.89 

Number 
days  attended. 

95-91 

Number 
of  pupils. 
3 

17.12 

90-86..  

1 

9.85 

85-81  

3 

6.58 

80-76  

3 

4.56 

75-71.  «    .. 

2 

3.32 

70-66 

2.76 

65-61  

2 

2.36 

60-56  

2.03 

55-51  

1 

1.13 

50-46  . 

1 

73 

45-41  . 

1 

67 

40-36 

1 

.84 

35-31  

.34 

30-26  

1 

QA 

17 

Total    . 

1,776 

.22 

Per  cent 
of  total. 

.17 
.06 
.17 
.17 

.11 
*.'ii 
'!6e 

.06 
.06 
.06 

".06 


REPORTS   OF   ATTENDANCE. 

In  the  quarterly  reports  of  the  superintendent  for  the  present  year  the 
attendance  is  reported  in  terms  of  the  number  enrolled,  number  belong- 
ing, and  the  per  cent  of  attendance.  This  method  of  reporting  is  quite 
usual,  but  very  unsatisfactory,  for  it  fails  to  reveal  the  facts  which  need 
to  be  known. 

The  total  days  absent  for  the  1776  pupils  in  Table  V  exceeds  20,000. 
The  cost  of  the  instruction  which  was  provided  and  was  not  received  by 
these  pupils  amounts  to  approximately  $2500.  This  amount  inadequately 
represents  the  cost  of  absences  to  the  city  of  Leavenworth.  This  is  no 
•small  item,  and  the  parents  may  well  bear  this  in  mind  when  permitting 
unnecessary  absences. 

From  this  analysis  of  the  table  it  should  be  clear  that  this  is  a  more 
valuable  form  in  which  to  report  the  attendance  than  the  one  now  used. 
It  is  a  form  which  is  coming  to  be  used,  and  the  writer  recommends  it  for 
future  reports. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHODLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN. 


37 


TABLE  VI. 

Age  and  Progress  of  the  Pupils  in  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools, 
taken  January  20,  1914. 


I 

II 

III 

>  IV 

V 

VI 

VII 

VIII 

F 

S 

J 

Sr 

P 

Total. 

5yrs. 

69 

69 

6yrs. 

176 

31 

207 

104 

127 

23 

254 

8  yrs 

20 

52 

95 

28 

195 

9  yrs 

5 

26 

80 

120 

18 

3 

252 

10  yrs 

4 

18 

32 

68 

70 

21 

*3 

216 

11  yrs. 

2 

7 

22 

44 

59 

68 

17 

219 

12  yrs. 

1 

6 

12 

27 

45 

63 

58 

13 

4 

229 

13  yrs. 

5 

25 

26 

71 

67 

31 

28 

253 

14  yrs. 

1 

2 

11 

21 

42 

55 

70 

17 

2 

1 

222 

15  yrs. 

3 

4 

20 

33 

24 

49 

19 

152 

16  yrs. 

1 

10 

8 

15 

24 

39 

15 

112 

17  yrs. 

2 

6 

2 

14 

27 

25 

4 

80 

18  yrs 

1 

2 

4 

11 

15 

3 

36 

19  yrs. 

1 

3 

2 

5 

4 

15 

20  yrs. 

1 

2 

0 

1 

4 

Total.. 

381 

267 

270 

314 

232 

252 

219 

147 

146 

112 

102 

61 

12 

Below.. 

69 

31 

23 

28 

18 

24 

20 

13 

32 

17 

21 

16 

4 

Normal 

280 

179 

175 

188 

129 

131 

125 

86 

94 

73 

•66 

40 

7 

Above  . 

32 

57 

72 

98 

85 

97 

74 

48 

20 

22 

15 

5 

1 

THE   PROGRESS   OF   PUPILS. 

According  to  this  plan  (see  Table  VI)  the  "normal"  ages  for  the  first 
grade  are  6  and  7,  for  the  second  grade  7  and  8,  for  the  third  8  and  9, 
and  so  on.  When  a  pupil's  age  is  less  than  the  "normal"  age  for  his 
grade  he  is  said  to  be  "below  normal,"  oj  under  age.  When  his  age  is 
greater  than  the  "normal"  age  for  his  grade  he  is  said  to  be  "above  nor- 
mal" age. 

The  table  shows  that  some  children  in  Leavenworth  start  to  school 
when  they  are  five,  some  when  they  are  six,  others  when  they  are  seven, 
and  possibly  a  few  when  they  are  eight.  Those  who  start  to  school  at  five 
are  "below  normal"  age  in  the  first  grade.  If  they  are  promoted  at  the 
end  of  the  year  they  will  be  "below  normal"  age  in  the  second  grade,  and 
so  on.  If  a  child  is  six  or  older  when  he  starts  to  school,  it  is  possible 
for  him  to  become  "below  normal"  age  only  by  sometime  skipping  a 
grade.  On  the  other  hand,  a  child  who  enters  school  before  he  is  eight 
can  become  "above  normal"  age  only  by  failing  to  be  promoted. 

This  age  and  progress  table  for  Leavenworth  shows  69  pupils  "below 
normal"  age  in  the  first  grade,  31  in  the  second  grade,  23  in  the  third 


38  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

grade,  28  in  the  fourth  grade,  and  so  on.  The  table  does  not  tell  us 
positively,  but  it  suggests  that  very  few  pupils  are  "below  normal"  age 
because  of  skipping  a  grade;  that  the  pupils  "below  normal"  age  are  so 
primarily  because  they  started  to  school  when  five  and  not  because  they 
possess  greater  capacity  for  the  work  of  the  school  than  other  pupils. 

When  we  consider  those  "above  normal"  age,  we  find  32  in  the  first 
grade,  57  in  the  second,  72  in  the  third,  98  in  the  fourth,  and  the  number 
remains  relatively  high  until  the  eighth  grade.  These  facts  tell  us  quite 
conclusively  that  many  of  those  who  are  "above  normal"  age  have  be- 
come so  because  in  some  grade  they  failed  to  be  promoted,  and  that  only 
a  few  are  "above  normal"  age  because  they  started  to  school  after  they, 
had  passed  the  age  of  seven.  Not  all  of  those  who  fail  of  promotion  are 
included  in  the  "above  normal"  age  group.  Considering  those  of  "normal" 
age,  we  find  the  ratio  of  the  two  ages  varies  from  127  to  52  in  the  second 
grade  to  31  to  55  in  the  eighth.  These  figures  indicate  that  a  number  fail 
of  promotion  who  are  still  included  in  the  group  of  "normal  age." 

This  condition  is  significant  for  two  reasons:  First,  it  is  expensive. 
For  the  year  1912-'13  the  expenses  of  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools 
totaled  $88,918.20,  or  an  average  of  $31.85  for  each  pupil  enrolled.  In  the 
case  of  a  pupil  who  failed  to  be  promoted  and  must  do  the  year's  work 
over,  this  $31.85  was  largely  wasted.  If  20  pupils  fail  of  promotion  the 
cost  is  $637,  or  the  salary  of  a  teacher  paid  $70  a  month.  And  second, 
these  figures  indicate,  and  more  careful  studies  have  shown  it  to  be  true, 
that  it  is  the  child  who  is  "above  normal"  age  who  is  most  likely  to  leave 
school  and  not  take  advantage  of  the  educational  facilities  which  the 
community  has  provided. 

There  will  always  be,  or  should  be,  some  pupils  who  fail  of  promotion 
or  are  retarded,  because  all  are  not  equally  capable.  But  it  will  be  most 
economical  to  adjust  the  work  of  the  school  so  that  the  number  failing 
will  approximately  equal  the  number  who  skip  a  grade.  In  this  way  the 
loss  on  the  one  pupil  will  be  balanced  by  the  gain  on  the  other.  Such  a 
system  would  probably  also  decrease  the  number  of  pupils  who  leave 
school.  The  figures  indicate  that  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools  are  so 
adjusted  that  a  number  of  pupils  are  retarded  and  very  few  are  accel- 
erated. The  system  can  be  made  more  efficient  by  making  these  groups 
more  nearly  equal. 

Such  a  table  as  the  one  above  is  valuable  in  exhibiting  the  age  and 
progress  of  pupils,  but  it  necessarily  leaves  one  in  doubt  about  many 
questions.  For  instance,  take  the  pupils  in  the  eighth  grade.  One  does 
not  know  how  many  years  the  24  who  are  15  years  of  age  have  spent  in 
school.  In  this  table  they  are  given  as  being  "normal  age,"  but  it  is 
probable  that  some  of  them  have  been  retarded  at  some  point  of  their 
course.  For  this  reason  it  would  be  helpful  to  supplement  this  table  by 
another  showing  the  relation  between  the  grade  and  the  number  of  years 
spent  in  school.  From  such  a  table  it  will  be  possible  to  determine  the 
amount  of  acceleration  and  retardation.  Knowledge  of  these  items  is 
essential  to  efficient  management  of  a  school  system. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        39 

ENROLLMENT    IN    THE    HIGH    SCHOOL. 

TABLE  VII. 
Per  cent  of  Distribution  of  High  School  Enrollment. 

First  year.      Second  year.      Third  year.      Fourth  year. 

Leavenworth   34.68  26.60  24.23  14.49 

Federal    41.73  27.08  18.21  12.98 

Kansas   42.46  26.27  17.38  13.89 

The  figures  in  Table  VII  show  that  fewer  pupils  leave  High  School  in 
Leavenworth  before  the  senior  year  than  in  general  in  the  state  of  Kansas 
or  the  United  States.  However,  the  drop  from  34.68  per  cent  in  the  first 
year  to  26.60  per  cent  in  the  second  year  shows  that  many  who  enter  the 
High  School  do  not  enroll  the  second  year.  Also  the  drop  between  the 
third  and  fourth  years  is  significant.  It  is  quite  evident  from  these 
figures  that  in  Leavenworth  the  first  and  third  years  of  the  High  School 
are  the  critical  years. 

RECORDS   AND   REPORTS. 

The  system  of  records  and  reports  is  moderately  elaborate.  Reports 
are  made  by  teachers  quarterly  to  their  principal,  and  a  summary  of 
their  reports  is  made  by  the  principal  to  the  superintendent.  These  re- 
ports include  the  usual  items  with  reference  to  attendance,  corporal  pun- 
ishment, suspensions,  etc.  In  addition,  there  are  a  number  of  items  such 
as  the  number  of  visits  by  the  Board  of  Education,  superintendent,  prin- 
cipal, supervisor,  and  patrons,  the  work  of  the  truant  officer,  etc.  At  the 
close  of  the  year  a  complete  report  is  made  for  the  year. 

In  addition,  in  the  elementary  school  the  following  blank  forms  are 
used: 

1.  Notice   of   supervision   assignment.     (For   buildings   and   grounds 
supervision  for  the  week.    Made  by  the  principal.) 

2.  Work  needing  attention  of  janitors. 

3.  Temperature  record.      (Hourly   record   from   8:30   to   4:30.     The 
janitors  register  temperature  and  the  card  is  filed  with  the  principal  at 
end  of  week.) 

4.  A  warning  notice  to  parents  of  children  who  are  not  doing  satis- 
factory work. 

5.  A  warning  notice  to  parents  of  children  who  have  been  irregular 
in  attendance.    (The  rules  of  the  Board  of  Education  provide  that  more 
than  five  half-days'  absence  in  four  consecutive  weeks  without  satisfac- 
tory excuse  will  result  in  suspension.) 

6.  A  suspension  notice, 

7.  "The  Teachers'  Loose-leaf  Plan  Book."    (Requiring  a  plan  for  each 
day's  work.) 

8.  A  blank  form  for  recording  the  daily  program. 


40  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

By  far  the  most  valuable  records  are  those  kept  of  individual  pupils. 
When  a  child  enters  school  the  following  card  is  filled  out  by  the  parent: 

LEAVENWORTH  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS. 
ENTRANCE  CARD. 

School  Grade  Teacher. 

1.  Name  of  child 

2.  Date   of  birth,   year month day 

3.  Place  of  birth Nationality,  Father Mother 

4.  Name  of  parent  or  guardian Occupation ^. 

5.  Residence    (street  and  number) 

6.  When   vaccinated   

7.  By  whom  vaccinated , 

8.  Defective  sight,  Yes No Throat,  Yes No 

9.  Defective  hearing,  Yes No Teeth,  Yes No 

Parents  receiving  this  card  will  please  fill  out  the  nine  numbered  blanks  and  return 

to  teacher. 
To  be  used  in  the  primary  grades  in  securing  information  from  parent. 

An  attendance  and  scholarship  record  is  kept  for  each  pupil  on  a  loose- 
leaf  form,  and  in  addition  there  is  a  progressive  record  card  for  each  pupil 
which  extends  over  twelve  years.  On  one  side  of  this  card  there  is  space 
for  recording  for  each  quarter  of  each  year  the  date  of  entering  the  room 
and  grade,  the  number  of  days  he  was  a  member  of  the  room,  number  of 
days  admitted,  days  absent,  times  tardy,  days  dropped,  date  of  readmit- 
tance. 

Individual  and  accumulative  records  of  pupils  are  among  the  most  im- 
portant records  which  can  be  kept  in  a  school  system.  As  has  been  pointed 
out  by  the  National  Educational  Association  Committee  on  Uniform 
Records  and  Reports,  the  records  made  by  teachers  in  the  schoolroom  are 
the  foundation  of  all  statistics  concerning  pupils;  and  without  reliable 
statistics  concerning  pupils,  no  superintendent  can  administer  a  school 
system  in  a  scientific  manner. 

The  forms  used  in  the  Leavenworth  Public  School  collect  in  a  usable 
form  the  records  made  by  the  teacher  in  the  schoolroom.  However,  the 
progressive  record  card  would  be  more  useful  if  the  attendance  record 
were  given  by  years  only  and  the  space  saved  were  used  for  a  progressive 
scholarship  record  in  each  school  subject. 

TABULATIONS   RECOMMENDED. 

The  purpose  of  collecting  and  recording  data  is  the  use  which  may  be 
made  of  them.  Only  partial  use  is  made  of  many  of  the  data  collected  in 
the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools.  For  instance,  the  following  tabulations* 
are  very  valuable  for  the  scientific  management  of  a  school  system : 

1.  Distribution  of  withdrawals,  by  ages  and  causes. 

2.  Distribution  of  attendance  according  to  number  of  days  attended. 

3.  Graduates,  by  years  in  school. 

4.  Nonpromotions,  by  grades  and  causes. 

5.  Failures,  by  studies  and  grades. 

6.  Distribution  of  leavings  and  withdrawals,  by  ages  and  grades. 

*  See  Report  of  the  Committee  on  Uniform  Records  and  Reports.  Bull.  1912,  No.  3, 
U.  S.  Bureau  of  Education. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.       41 

In  a  school  system  the  size  of  Leavenworth's  the  superintendent  can 
not  be  expected  to  make  these  uses  of  the  records  unless  he  is  provided 
with  clerical  assistance.  In  another  section  of  this  report  it  is  recom- 
mended that  the  superintendent  be  provided  with  a  secretary.  The  tabu- 
lation of  data  under  the  direction  of  the  superintendent  would  be  one  of 
her  important  functions. 

These  tabulations,  together  with  their  interpretations  by  the  superin- 
tendent, should  be  printed  as  a  part  of  his  annual  report,  and  should  be 
read  by  each  patron  who  has  an  interest  in  the  public  schools.  These 
tabulations  of  statistics  will  show  to  the  stockholders  the  efficiency  with 
which  their  business  is  being  conducted. 


42 


KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


CHAPTER  V. 

BUILDINGS  AND  MATERIAL  EQUIPMENT. 

Waller  S.  Monroe. 
THE    SCHOOL   BUILDINGS. 

IN  CONSIDERING  the  buildings  and  material  equipment  of  the  Leaven- 
worth  Public  Schools  it  is  necessary  to  have  clearly  in  mind,  first,  the 
past  history  of  the  city  of  Leavenworth  and  its  public  schools,  and, 
second,  the  probable  future  school  needs  of  the  community. 

The  Third  Avenue  School  was  built  in  1860,  the  Sumner  School  in 
1866,  the  Morris  School  in  1867,  Oak  Street  School  in  1874,  and  the 
Maplewood  building  has  been  used  as  a  public  school  for  twenty-five 
years.  Thus  over  three-fourths  of  the  pupils  in  the  elementary  schools 
attend  at  buildings  which  have  been  built  over  twenty-five  years,  and 
approximately  half  of  the  pupils  attend  at  buildings  which  have  stood  for 
nearly  half  a  century. 

This  means  that  the  majority  of  the  school  buildings  were  constructed 
when  much  less  was  known  about  school  architecture  than  at  present, 
and  also  when  much  less  importance  was  attached  to  such  matters  as 
lighting,  heating,  seating,  hallways,  fire-proof  construction,  playgrounds, 
etc.  In  addition,  these  old  buildings  have  been  remodeled  from  time  to 
time,  and  in  two  cases  additions  have  been  built.  These  conditions  neces- 
sarily make  the  arrangement  of  some  rooms  and  their  lighting  very  poor. 

The  remaining  elementary  school  buildings  were  constructed  about  ten 
years  ago,  except  the  Cleveland  Park  School,  which  is  simply  a  dwelling 
house  purchased  by  the  Board  of  Education  and  adapted  to  the  needs  of 
a  one-teacher  school.  In  the  newer  schools  better  provisions  have  been 
made  for  the  needs  of  the  pupils. 

The  High  School  building  was  completed  in  1905  and  an  addition  was 
built-in  1912.  The  building  is  poorly  planned  and  represents  very  poor 
community  foresight.  Before  the  High  School  can  become  what  it  should 
be  to  the  community  of  Leavenworth  additional  space  must  be  provided. 

THE   BUILDING   NEEDS. 

The  school  census,  the  enrollment  in  the  elementary  schools  and  the 
High  School,  and  the  total  enrollment,  are  given  in  Table  VIII. 

TABLE  VIII. 


School  Census  and  Enrollment  since  1900. 


Year. 

1900-'01. 
1901-'02. 
1902-'03. 
1903-'04. 
1904-'05, 
1905-'06, 
1906-'07. 
1907-'08. 
1908-'09, 
1909-10, 


Census.        Elementary  schools. 

High  School. 

6,963 

2,575 

176 

6,865 

2,417 

164 

6,646 

2,480 

174 

6,615 

2,342 

229 

6,695 

2,282 

255' 

6,746 

2,853 

325 

6,871 

2,753 

348 

7,174 

2,650 

273 

7,080 

2,721 

283 

6,850 

2,601 

304 

6,871 

2,981 

326 

6,859 

2,465 

377 

6,649 

2,335 

460 

Total 
enrollment. 

2,751 
2,581 
2,654 
2,571 
2,537 
3,178 
3,101 
2,923 
3,004 
2,905 
3,307 
2,842 
2,795 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        43 

The  population  of  the  city  has  been  remarkably  constant  for  twenty 
years  (see  page  14),  and  there  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  there  will  be 
any  considerable  change  in  the  immediate  future.  The  enrollment  in  the 
elementary  schools  has  fluctuated  from  year  to  year?  but  the  absolute 
change  for  the  period  represented  here  is  slightly  negative,  and  the  age 
distribution  of  the  school  census  shows  the  school  population  to  be  de- 
creasing. (See  page  34.)  These  facts,  coupled  with  the  population  data 
and  general  observations,  indicate  that  it  is  not  probable  that  there  will  be 
any  considerable  permanent  increase  in  the  elementary-school  enrollment 
in  the  near  future.  Since  a  maximum  of  approximately  3000  children 
have  been  cared  for  with  slightly  less  than  the  present  equipment  of 
schoolrooms,  it  is  fairly  certain  that  the  present  schoolrooms  will  not  be 
crowded  in  the  near  future.  «• 

On  the  other  hand,  the  high-school  enrollment  has  steadily  increased 
except  for  two  years,  and  the  indications  are  that  it  will  continue  to  in- 
crease until  an  enrollment  of  800  or  more  is  attained.  Until  such  an  en- 
rollment is  attained  the  Leavenworth  High  School  can  not  be  said  to 
serve  the  community  as  it  should.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  High 
School  building  is  already  seriously  crowded  (as  the  school  is  at  present 
conducted),  provision  must  be  made  for  nearly  double  the  present  en- 
rollment. 

Thus  the  building  problem  for  the  city  of  Leavenworth  involves  an  in-' 
crease  in  the  number  of  classrooms  only  in  the  case  of  the  High  School. 
The  Sumner,  Third  Avenue,  and  Morris  buildings  are  each  approxi- 
mately half  a  century  old,  and  although  the  need  for  their  replacement  is 
not  immediate  if  they  are  kept  in  repair,  they  can  not  be  expected  to 
stand  forever.  In  the  course  of  a  few  years  some  plans  should  be  de- 
cided upon  which  would  involve  the  erection  of  modern  buildings  to  take 
their  place.  Also  the  Cleveland  Park  building  is  simply  a  small  dwelling 
house  in  which  a  partition  has  been  removed  so  that  the  building  could 
be  used  for  school  purposes.  This  building  is  ill  adapted  to  school  work 
and  should  be  replaced  as  soon  as  possible  with  a  modern  rural  school 
building. 

ANALYSIS   OF  BUILDINGS  AND  MATERIAL  EQUIPMENT. 

In  Table  IX  an  analysis  of  the  buildings  and  material  equipment  and 
their  relations  to  the  pupils  of  the  elementary  schools  is  given. 


44 


KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


Sco|J 

1 

S      : 

®      :    g      :    §5      :    °°      : 

^- 

Pis 

.  '1*1     ;     i 

11 

s  i 

T»T 

I 

g 

s 

I 

5,3 

IM'      *           •      ^      to      co               oo 

fe       **  a       ^ 

o 

CO 

SI 

*  i 

o 

i 

OS 

1 

rt 

§  1 

*    8    " 

CO 

i 

a  a° 

a  i 

1 

1 

8 

S 

i    1 

""a*!*!10! 

B»S 

Op 

i 

31 

g 

8 

2 

*.•* 

g 

CO        O> 

CO 

g 

* 

1 

1 

i  ; 

•        »C         T»<         O         lO        CO         TJ.         CO 
<N         i-c        >O             '    .    3             •         O 
9&                     ^^         (M         00         US        -*t< 
0         ^-        IM         5^        "-1 

g 

1 

3 

C/2 

0 

0 

" 

i  a 

§  1 

S 

s 

1 

ac 

g  2 

C<l         ^^         OO                     CO                      !>• 
•*         «^                     00         O         O        !>•         00 

CO 

§ 

58 

§ 

g 

m 

»        - 

4 

S  i 

o 

i 

4 

g 

3    8 

QOOCOO'rt<i-H'—  'iC 

^S^g^g^^ 

2 

g 

JH 

g 

fe        «N- 

jl    . 

s  s 

9Q 

n 

CO 

i 

g 

C<I        CO 

^^^S25°S 

« 

— 

|1 

§ 

CO 

8        CO" 

•gs  • 

CO       O 

Ttl        CO 

g 

1 

I 

| 

s    :. 

:.    S    S    g§    °    §3    °°    S 

r. 

z 

sj 

g 

i5 

:          S    oT    N    co" 

.» 

8    8 

£ 

00 

g 

X 

g  1 

lOi—  iiOt^-OOOOO 

-    8    ^    R    "    S          S 

2 

^: 

g 

CO 

1 

fe 

^ 

5  i 

^t 

I 

CJ 

| 

s    ! 

:  ft  2  i.  ••  4  -  '  in 

u. 

g 

^  2- 

C<l 

•^tT 

M 

^    ocT         i—  r         *—  r 

£ 

§ 

3 

&  :     « 

Jl 

!  1      \   \  .!;   i 

1  \    "I 

»   : 

i 

i  j 

:      :           I      :      :      !    1 

rt: 

*  :     | 

!• 

M     : 

1 

i 

H 

:,j          g^i     :    i'l 

1   1         .§"§.     ;    §.   1 

I 

2  :     c 

1 

i 

a  .- 

*    |          3     H.     j     H,    § 

t 

B 
= 

S   :    2 

16 

2,3 

* 

§ 

$   1 

a    i*         s    g   .§    §j   •- 

I 

Number  of  pupils 
1913-'14  

Total  cubic  feet  bu 

Number  of  cubic  fe 

Total  cubic  feet 
teachers  and  pup 

Number  of  cubic  fe 

Total  outdoor  play 

Number  of  square 
Total  indoor  play 

$      §?           -S     ^     '£      g      | 

•  '    •  *        rf  .     '  |          I          i    '  '  1       :'  1 

1    "s    |    1    1  •=    1    1 

!ii-iiirl 

^>a«j;&jS: 
11     I     1    -1     1,1     1 

2:H>E-^;feZH 

Ratio  of  window  ar 

Window  area  in  cor 

SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.       45 


o»         •      ec 


PO        "5        CO        -*        "5 


o*QoococQ<ec9«p,*H 


-  s 


CO         t>»         OO         C^ 


O5         O         <M         •*         -rf 


111 
&  s  1 


'  2         —          *a          *"          -M          **  X      •  •" 

I  1 1  1 1  1 1  I 


46  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

The  data  for  the  building  space  used  by  teachers  and  pupils  and  the 
total  floor  space  in  recitation  rooms  suggest  slightly  crowded  conditions 
in  the  Maplewood,  Jefferson  and  Cleveland  buildings;  but  when  the  writer 
visited  these  buildings  the  condition  did  not  appear  serious  except  in  the 
case  of  the  Cleveland  School.  A  more  adequate  building  should  certainly 
be  provided  for  this  school. 

PLAYGROUNDS. 

The  facts  relating  to  facilities  for  indoor  and  outdoor  play  are  among 
the  most  significant  in  the  entire  table.  At  the  two  largest  schools,  Oak 
Street  and  Third  Avenue,  the  total  outdoor  play  space  per  pupil  is  30 
and  34  square  feet,  respectively.  This  is  entirely  inadequate,  and  much 
less  than  the  average  for  the  83  buildings.  The  outdoor  play  space  is 
moderately  adequate  in  the  case  of  the  other  schools  except  Lincoln.  How- 
ever, at  the  Jefferson  School  the  arrangement  of  the  buildings  and 
grounds  is  such  that  there  is  no  play  space  for  the  girls,  and  much  of 
the  space  at  the  Sumner  School  is  not  usable.  The  latter  is  partly  true 
of  the  Morris  School.  In  the  case  of  these  schools,  and  to  a  less  extent 
the  others,  the  efficiency  of  the  playground  could  be  much  increased  by 
grading  and  providing  an  appropriate  surface.  The  equipment  of  the 
playgrounds  is  inadequate,  being  much  below  the  average  except  in  the 
case  of  the  smaller  school.  During  the  present  year,  1913-'14,  a  start  has 
been  made  in  equipping  the  playgrounds.  It  is  recommended  that  addi- 
tional equipment  be  provided  as  rapidly  as  funds  can  be  secured  and  that 
additional  outdoor  play  space  be  obtained  for  those  buildings  which  show 
crowded  conditions. 

The  Morris,  Third  Avenue,  Sumner  and  Cleveland  buildings  are  evi- 
dently poorly  lighted,  but  some  remodeling  of  the  first  two  of  these  build- 
ings is  being  done  this  summer  which  will  increase  the  amount  of  window 
space.  The  corridors  of  the  Oak  Street  and  Third  Avenue  buildings  are 
not  well  lighted.  This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  additions  have  been  built 
onto  the  original  buildings.  A  few  features  found  in  many  of  the  83 
buildings  studied  are  entirely  wanting  in  Leavenworth;  for  example, 
school  baths  and  stationary  wash  basins  for  pupils'  use. 

GYMNASIUM. 

There  is  no  gymnasium,  though  the  need  for  one  is  acute.  Our  recom- 
mendations with  respect  to  a  gymnasium  will  be  given  in  connection  with 
the  treatment  of  physical  training.  See  page  176. 

AUDITORIUMS. 

The  Survey  Staff  is  unanimous  in  approving  the  present  plans  of  the 
Board  of  Education  for  providing  auditoriums  in  the  Third  Avenue,  Oak 
Street  and  Morris  buildings.  See  page  65  for  recommendations  for  using 
auditoriums. 

Detailed  recommendations  as  to  the  remodeling  of  the  present  build- 
ings or  the  construction  of  new  buildings  are  not  given  because  our 
knowledge  and  standards  of  school  architecture  are  increasing  so  rapidly 
at  the  present  time.  Extensive  remodeling  of  the  present  buildings  would 
not  be  good  business.  When  the  city  of  Leavenworth  is  ready  to  replace 
the  present  old  buildings  by  modern  structures  a  competent  architect 
should  be  secured. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        47 

SANITATION. 

The  High  School,  Morris,  Third  Avenue  and  Oak  Street  buildings  have 
sewer  connections.  The  other  buildings  have  none,  although  three  of 
them — Sumner,  Lincoln  and  Jefferson — are  sufficiently  near  the  sewer. 
Toilet  paper  is  furnished  only  at  those  buildings  which  have  sewer  con- 
nections. The  three  buildings,  Sumner,  Lincoln  and  Jefferson,  should  be 
connected  with  the  sewer  at  once,  and  as  soon  as  sewer  connections  are 
available  the  other  buildings  should  be  connected.  The  need  is  particu- 
larly pressing  at  the  Lincoln  building  because  of  the  small  playground  and 
the  thickly  settled  district  in  which  it  is  located.  The  Leavenworth  Public 
Schools  can  render  valuable  service  to  the  community  by  setting  standards 
of  sanitary  cleanliness. 

SEA-DING. 

The  dimensions  of  many  of  the  classrooms  and  the  position  of  the  win- 
dows make  impossible  the  placing  of  seats  according  to  present-day 
standards.  In  a  number  of  the  classrooms  the  placing  of  the  seats  and 
the  lighting  are  good.  In  a  few  these  features  are  very  poor.  In  all, 
except  a  few  cases,  the  best  is  being  made  of  an  unfortunate  situation. 

Many  of  the  seats  have  been  inherited  from  the  same  generation  as 
the  buildings.  They  are  nonadjustable  and  unsanitary.  The  superin- 
tendent stated  in  a  report  for  1912  that  within  the  previous  year  "700 
old  nonadjustable  and  unsanitary  seats"  had  been  replaced  by  "700  ad- 
justable and  sanitary  seats."  This  is  a  commendable  improvement.  In 
some  cases  even  yet  the  seats  are  entirely  unsuited  to  the  pupils  who  must 
use  them.  In  one  schoolroom  blocks  are  being  used  to  make  possible  a 
resting  place  for  the  feet  of  some  children.  A  room  in  the  Jefferson 
School  was  visited  in  which  scarcely  a  child  could  touch  the  floor  with  his 
feet  when  sitting  erect.  Such  a  condition  should  not  be  permitted  to  con- 
tinue to  exist.  In  the  rooms  which  are  equipped  with  adjustable  seats, 
the  seats  appeared  to  be  properly  adjusted. 

BLACKBOARDS. 

The  table  on  page  44  shows  that  adequate  blackboard  space  is  pro- 
vided in  most  of  the  buildings  in  Leavenworth.  The  High  School  build- 
ing is  equipped  with  slate  blackboards.  In  the  other  buildings,  except 
Cleveland  Park,  the  blackboards  have  been  made  by  applying  a  liquid 
slate  preparation  to  the  plaster.  In  some  of  the  buildings  a  fresh  coat  is 
applied  twice  a  year,  in  others  only  once  a  year. 

At  best,  this  type  of  board  is  unsatisfactory,  and  in  many  of  the  class- 
rooms the  boards  are  very  poor  because  of  an  imperfect  plaster  surface. 
The  classrooms  should  be  equipped  with  slate  boards  and  sanitary  chalk 
ledges,  but  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  buildings  are  old  and  the  present 
boards  are  usable,  there  are  other  more  urgent  demands  for  improve- 
ments. Perhaps  an  exception  should  be  made  in  the  case  of  the  rooms 
used  for  the  departmental  teaching  of  arithmetic.  In  any  case,  a  fresh 
coat  of  the  liquid  slate  should  be  applied  oftener  than  at  present. 

FIREPROOF   CONSTRUCTION. 

The  buildings  are  not  fireproof.  This  is  to  be  expected  when  the  age  of 
the  buildings  is  considered.  Fire  escapes  have  been  provided  at  all 
buildings  of  two  stories  or  more,  and  the  children  were  found  well  trained 
in  fire  drills  with  the  exception  of  one  school.  These  conditions  minimize 
the  danger  from  fire,  but  it  could  be  further  decreased  by  installing  fire- 
proof stairways  in  the  three  large  buildings. 


48 


KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

EDUCATIONAL  EXPENDITURES. 

Walter  S.  Monroe. 
THE    SCHOOL   SYSTEM    AS   A   BUSINESS   ENTERPRISE. 

JUDGED  merely  in  dollars  and  cents,  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools 
are  one  of  the  large  business  enterprises  of  the  community.  They  repre- 
sent an  investment  of  approximately  a  quarter  of  a  million  and  carry  a 
yearly  pay  roll  of  over  $65,000  and  a  yearly  budget  of  approximately 
$125,000.  It  is  thus  worth  while  to  inquire  into  the  nature  of  this  in- 
vestment and  compare  the  expenditures  with  those  of  similar  com- 
munities. 

HOW   LEAVENWORTH   SUPPORTS   HER   SCHOOLS. 

There  are  in  Kansas  ten  cities  of  the  first  class,  i.  e.,  which  have  a 
population  of  15,000  or  over.  In  Table  X  we  give  some  facts  for  these 
cities,  taken  from  the  report  of  the  state  superintendent  for  1912. 

TABLE  X. 


School 
census. 

Enroll- 
ment. 

Tax 
levy. 

Total 
valuation. 

Possible 
revenue 
from  direct 
taxation. 

Possible 
revenue 
per  pupil 
enrolled. 

Value  of 
school 
property 
per  pupil. 

Atchison  

3,486 

2,002 

4.2 

$16,042,373 

$67,377.66 

$33.66 

$125.00 

Coffeyville  
Fort  Scott  

3,&76 
4,273 

3,406 
2,625 

7.0 

5.8 

11,541,115 
8,956,512 

80,787.70 
51,947.70 

23.72 
19.79 

53.00 
45  00 

Hutchinson  

4,240 

3,491 

4.3 

20,644,512 

88,771.35 

25.43 

143  00 

Kansas  City  

25,314 

14,593 

5.5 

92,919,110 

511,055.05 

35.02 

95.00 

Leavenworth  

6,649 

2,842 

4.0 

17,297,281 

69,188.80 

24.34 

81.00 

Parsons  

3,190 

2,529 

5.6 

11,593,311 

64,922.48 

25.67 

158.00 

Pittsburg  

5,008 

3,211 

6.0 

11,440,505 

68,642.40 

21.39 

29.00 

Topeka  
Wichita 

11,641 
12,545 

7,936 
9,443 

4.7 
7  0 

50,950,000 
64,133,116 

239,475.00 
448,931  70 

30.17 
47  54 

109.00 
103  00 

Average  

5.4 

96.00 

These  figures  reveal  the  following  facts:  Leavenworth  stands  seventh 
in  the  number  of  pupils  enrolled  in  the  public  schools,  tenth  in  rate  of 
tax  levy,  fifth  in  taxable  valuation,  seventh  in  revenue  from  direct  taxa- 
tion per  pupil  enrolled,  and  seventh  in  amount  invested  in  school  prop- 
erty per  pupil  enrolled.  The  average  investment  in  school  property  per 
pupil  enrolled  in  these  cities  is  $96.  Leavenworth  has  $81  invested  for 
each  pupil  enrolled. 

This  means  that,  at  the  time  these  figures  were  taken,  1912,  Leaven- 
worth had  the  lowest  tax  levy  for  school  purposes  of  the  first-class  cities 
of  Kansas,  and  by  so  doing  was  below  the  average  in  providing  build- 
ings and  material  equipment  and  in  its  support  of  its  public  schools. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        49 

It  is  an  indication  of  increasing  community  interest  in  the  Leaven- 
worth  Public  Schools  to  find  that  since  these  data  were  collected  the  tax 
levy  has  been  raised  to  S1/^  mills  for  current  expenses  and  one-half  mill 
for  interest  and  bonds.  This  is  within  one-half  mill  of  the  limit  set  by 
law  for  the  maintenance  of  public  schools  in  cities  of  the  first  class.  The 
possible  revenue  from  direct  taxation  is  now  approximately  $38  for  each 
pupil  enrolled.  Comparative  data  are  not  at  hand  for  the  other  cities, 
but  it  is  fairly  certain  that  Leavenworth  has  increased  its  comparative 
standing. 

Although  Leavenworth  has  not  been  supporting  her  schools  as  gen- 
erously as  most  of  the  other  first-class  cities  of  Kansas,  the  tax  rate  in 
Leavenworth  is  unusually  high.  The  citizens  of  Leavenworth  pay  the 
following  taxes  on  each  one  hundred  -dollars  valuation : 

School $0.60 

City 89 

County    64 

State 12 

Total    $2.25 

This  means  that  out  of  each  dollar  paid  in  taxes  27  cents  goes  to  the 
schools,  39  cents  to  the  city,  29  cents  to  the  county,  and  5  cents  to  the 
state. 

In  Table  XI  the  bonded  indebtedness  is  given  for  the  last  twenty  years. 

TABLE  XI. 
Bonded  Indebtedness  of  Leavenworth  for  School  Purposes. 

Remaining  July  1,  1894 $95,374.13 

1895 89,345.88 

1896 83,120.26 

1897 75,074.50 

1898, 68,734.05 

1899....' 62,393.61 

1900 59,223.39 

1901 97,155'.80  Issue  $44,000 

1902 89,945.48 

1903 79,291.66 

1904 129,437.76     Issue  $60,000 

1905 119,310.16 

1906 .' 103,534.01 

1907 93,010.49 

1911 69,367.01 

1912 65,307.78 

1913 60,307.78 

These  figures  show  several  things: 

1.  Bonds  to  the  amount  of  only  $104,000  have  been  voted  within  the 
last  twenty  years.     The  money  from  these  bonds  was  put  into  buildings 
and  equipment,  and,  with  the  exception  of  the  $20,000  addition  to  the 
High  School  building,  represents  the  total  amount  put  into  the  permanent 
investment  within   that  period.     Thus  only  about  half  of  the  present 
school  plant  represents  investments  made  within  the  last  twenty  years. 

2.  Within  the  period  considered,  the  bonded  indebtedness  has  never 
been  less  than  that  at  the  present  year  except  for  the  single  year  1900; 


50  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

and  at  the  end  of  the  present  fiscal  year  the  bonded  indebtedness  of 
Leavenworth  for  school  purposes  will  have  reached  the  lowest  mark 
within  over  twenty  years. 

3.  With  the  present  bond  levy  of  one-half  of  one  mill  the  present 
bonded  indebtedness  will  be  paid  in  less  than  twelve  years. 

4.  As  compared  with  other  Kansas  cities,  Leavenworth  has  not  been 
generous  in  providing  buildings  and  material  equipment  for  her  schools. 
In  1910  Hutchinson,  with  a  taxable  valuation  only  slightly  greater  than 
the  present  taxable  valuation  of  Leavenworth,  was  carrying  a  bonded  in- 
debtedness of  $147,000.     The  taxable  valuation  of  Kansas  City,  Kan.,  in 
1910  was  $71,341,895,  or  only  about  four  times  the  present  valuation  of 
Leavenworth.     The  bonded  indebtedness  was  $815,000,  or  thirteen  times 
the  present  indebtedness  of  Leavenworth. 

5.  Leavenworth's  position  of  seventh  among  the  ten  first-class  cities, 
as  judged  with  reference  to  value  of  buildings  and  equipment  per  pupil 
enrolled,  is  due  to  the  age  of  the  city  and  its  static  population.     If  Leav- 
enworth were  as  new  and  as  rapidly  growing  as  many  other  Kansas 
cities,  and  if  no  more  had  been  invested  in  public  schools  than  has  been, 
Leavenworth  would'  doubtless  stand  at  the  bottom  of  the  list. 

Thus  if  Leavenworth  should  vote  bonds  -to  the  extent  of  $150,000  or 
more  within  the  next  few  years,  the  city  would  only  be  doing  what  other 
Kansas  towns  have  already  done  and  others  are  now  doing. 

ANALYSIS   OF   SALARY  EXPENDITURES. 

The  large  item  of  school  expenditures  is  salaries.  In  Leavenworth 
it  has  been  about  three-fourths  of  the  total  regular  expense,  and  in  the 
future  should  bear  even  a  greater  ratio  to  the  total.  For  this  reason,  and 
for  others  which  will  be  made  clear  later,  it  is  important  to  inquire  what 
the  community  of  Leavenworth  is  buying  with  this  money. 

No  teacher  in  the  seventh  and  eighth  grades  receives  less  than  $720, 
and  most  of  the  teachers  in  these  grades  receive  the  maximum  salary, 
$810.  From  these  upper  grades  the  salaries  decrease  with  the  grade 
until  the  first  and  second  grades.  The  lowest  salaries  are  paid  in  the 
second,  third  and  fourth  grades. 

The  average  salary  for  the  elementary  teachers  of  Leavenworth,  in- 
cluding principals,  is  $683.  The  average  of  1102  elementary  teachers  in 
30  cities  near  Chicago  is  $709. 

TABLE  XII. 

The  Distribution  of  the   Teachers  Accordiing   to  Salaries. 


Number 

of  elementary-school*  teachers, 
with  salaries. 

Number  of  high-school  teachers,! 
with  salaries. 

Below  $350  

o 

Below  $500  

0 

$350 

to 

$400  

o 

$500 

to 

$600  

1 

400 

to 

450  

61      600 

to 

700  

0 

450 

to 

500  

4   ;      700 

to 

800  

2 

500 

to 

550  

5    |      800 

to 

900  

2 

550 

to 

600  

900 

to 

1,000  

7 

600 

to 

650  

2    i   1,000 

to 

1,100  

8 

650 

to 

700  

3       1,100 

to 

1,200  

1 

700 

to 

750  

6 

1,200 

to 

1,300  

0 

7-:  0 

to 

800  

0 

1,300 

to 

1,400  

0 

800 

to 

850  

23 

1,400 

to 

1,500  

0 

*  Supervisors  of  music  and  arts  and  crafts  included. 

t  Includes  four  teachers  who  give  half  time  to  the  elementary  school. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        51 


Number  of  high-school  teachers,  t 
with  salaries. 

$1,500  to  $1,600 0 

1,600  to     1,700 0 

1,800 0 

1,900 0 

2,000 0 


1,700  to 
1,800  to 
1,900  to 


2,000  and  above 


Number  of  elementary-school*  teachers, 
with  salaries. 

$850  to    $900 0 

900  to  1,000 4 

1,000  to  1,050 0 

1,050  to  1,100 1 

1,100  to  1,150 1 

1,150  to  1,200 0 

1,200  and  above 3 

If  we  exclude  the  principals  and  supervisors,  the  median  salary  of  the 
teachers  in  the  elementary  school  is  between  $650  and  $700.  This  group 
includes  only  women.  For  a  miscellaneous  group  of  women  teachers  made 
up  very  largely  of  elementary  school  teachers,  Dr.  L.  D.  CoffmanJ  has 
shown  the  median  salary  to  be  from  §372  for  one  year  of  experience  up  to 
$629  for  twenty-five  years'  experience.  In  comparison  with  these  data, 
the  salaries  for  teachers  in  the  Leavenworth  elementary  school  are 
superior. 

The  median  salary  of  principals  of  north  central  high  schools  in  cities 
from  15,001  to  50,000  population  is  given  as  $1800.  The  median  maximum 
salary  of  teachers  is  $1500  and  the  median  minimum  salary  of  teachers 
is  $500. §  The  average  salary  is  not  given,  but  we  may  conclude  that 
Leavenworth  compares  favorably  with  other  cities  of  its  class  in  point  of 
salaries  paid  to  high-school  teachers. 

TABLE  XIII. 

Cost  of  Instruction  in  High  School.     Leavenworth  Compared  with  the 
Median  for  2U  Cities. 


Sl'tUECT. 

Average 
size 
of 
class. 

Number 
of  hours 

teacher. 

Number  of 
students 
per 
teacher. 

Teachers'** 
salary 
by 
subject. 

Number  of 
student 
hours 
for  $1.00. 

Cost  per 
student  hour. 

English 

M 

21.2 

21.0 

L 
24.3 

23.3 

M 
23.3 

23.3 

L 

20.0 

20.0 

M 
139 

138 

L 

146 

140 

M 
$405 

475 

L 

$457 

474 

M 
22.2 

19.0 

L 

19.9 

17.6 

M 
$0.044 

.053 

L 

$0.052 

.056 

Mathematics  

History  

20.6 

25.6 

23.0 

17.2 

127 

133 

465 

465 

17.0 

17.0 

.052 

.058 

Science  

20.2 

24.3 

22.5 

20.0 

109 

85 

480 

477 

17.9 

18.3 

.060 

.054 

Modern  Latin  

17.3 

21.3 

23.2 

20.0 

128 

113 

427 

440 

16.2 

15.4 

.061 

.064 

I^atin  

17.3 

19.1 

23.3 

20.0 

113 

115 

440 

520 

15.4 

13.2 

.064 

.075 

Shop  Work  

14.5 

12.3 

23.1 

31.0 

77 

69 

570 

378 

13.0 

18.2 

.068 

.054 

H.  Arts  

16.5 

22.5 

24.3 

29.2 

98 

198 

388 

413 

20.7 

28.6 

.048 

.035 

Commercial  

18.6 

23.1 

24.1 

20.0 

130 

139 

489 

500 

16.2 

16.6 

.064 

.050 

Normal  Training  .  .  . 

15.0 

20.5 

23.6 

16.6 

72 

103 

503 

427 

10.8 

14.3 

.092 

.069 

An  examination  of  the  facts  given  in  Table  XIII  shows  that  Leaven- 
worth does  not  stand  conspicuously  above  or  below  the  median  of  this 
group  of  cities. 

*  Supervisors  of  music  and  arts  and  crafts  included. 

t  Includes  four  teachers  who  give  half  time  to  the  elementary  school. 

J  L.  D.  Coffmau.     The  Social  Composition  of  the  Teaching  Population. 

§  Ibid.,  p.  111. 

**Salary  per  semester. 


52  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  TEACHING  STAFF. 

Walter  S.  Monroe. 
THE    TRAINING    OF    TEACHERS    IN    THE    ELEMENTARY    SCHOOL. 

THE  distribution  of  the  teachers  in  the  elementary  school  according  to 
total  years  of  training  beyond  the  elementary  school  is  given  below : 


Number 

Number 

of  years 

of  years 

beyond 

bevond 

elementary 
school. 

Number  of 
teachers. 

elementary 
school. 

Number  of 
teachers. 

1 

o 

7  

5 

2 

1 

8 

...     2 

3 

4 

9 

2 

4 

11 

10.            

0 

5 

18 

11 

1 

6.. 

.   20 

Nearly  half  of  the  teachers  now  employed  in  the  elementary  school 
have  six  or.  more  years  of  academic  and  professional  training  beyond  the 
elementary  school.  The  average  number  of  years  of  training  beyond  the 
elementary  school  is  5.4  for  the  teachers  in  the  elementary  schools  of 
Leavenworth,  and  the  average  for  1102  teachers  is  5.2  years.*  This 
shows  that  in  the  past,  with  even  a  lower  minimum  standard  than  at 
present,  Leavenworth  has  secured  many  teachers  with  college  training  or 
that  the  teachers  have  attended  summer  schools  after  their  appointments. 
Thus  the  showing  of  the  teachers,  when  judged  by  their  total  years  of 
training  beyond  the  elementary  school,  is  relatively  good. 

In  order  to  maintain  this  standing  it  will  be  necessary  for  the  academic 
and  professional  standards  for  teachers  in  the  elementary  school  to  be 
strengthened  in  the  near  future.  This  can  be  done  for  those  who  enter 
from  the  normal  training  class  of  the  Leavenworth  High  School  by  adding 
a  year  to  that  course.  Such  an  addition  is  feasible  and  would  make  it 
possible  for  students  to  take  adequate  courses  in  domestic  science  and 
manual  training.  If  music  and  drawing  are  introduced  in  the  High 
School,  as  the  Survey  Staff  recommends,  these  courses  would  be  valuable 
for  those  preparing  to  teach.  There  would  be  opportunity  for  some 
additional  study  in  the  field  of  education.  An  alternative  plan  would  be 
to  -require  one  or  more  years  of  work  in  a  normal  school.  This  plan 
possesses  the  advantage  of  bringing  the  prospective  teachers  in  contact 
with  an  institution  outside  of  their  own  community  and  with  a  larger 
number  of  teachers. 

LENGTH    OF   SERVICE. 

In  Table  XIV  the  number  of  years  in  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools 
is  given  for  the  teachers  of  the  elementary  school,  omitting  the  special 
supervisors  and  the  teachers  of  the  industrial  work. 

*  These  and  other  comparative  data  which  are  used  in  this  chapter  were  furnished  by 
Dr.  J.  F.  Bobbitt  unless  other  acknowledgment  is  made.  In  all  cases  the  data  are  for  <he 
year  1913-' 14.  The  elementary  teachers  are  all  from  school  systems  in  cities  averaging 
about  the  size  of  Leavenworth. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        53 


TABLE  XIV. 
Length  of  Service  of  Teachers  in  Elementary  School. 


Vt-itrs  in 
system. 

o 

Number  of 
teachers. 

2 

Years  in 
system. 

17 

Number  of 
teachers. 

.  .       0 

1 

8 

18  

2 

9 

4 

19  

1 

3 

7 

20        

1 

4 

5 

21  

0 

5 

4 

22  

2 

6 

2 

23  

2 

4 

24  

0 

g 

2 

25 

1 

9 

3 

26  

1 

10 

2 

27  

0 

11 

1 

28  

1 

12 

2 

29  

0 

13 

3 

30  

1 

14  

1 

31  

0 

15 

o 

32 

o 

16.. 

1 

33.. 

1 

Half  of  the  teachers  in  the  elementary  school  have  been  in  the  system 
seven  years  or  more  and  the  average  term  of  service  is  9.2  years.  The 
average  for  1102  elementary  teachers  is  6.9  years.  This  permanency  of 
service  offers  the  opportunity  for  improvement  and  development  which 
would  not  be  possible  if  the  teachers  remained  in  service  only  two  or 
three  years,  but  this  opportunity  carries  with  it  the  responsibility  for 
providing  facilities  for  the  improvement  of  teachers  in  service. 

IMPROVEMENT   OF   TEACHERS    IN    SERVICE. 

Out  of  62  teachers  in  the  elementary  schools  only  14  have  attended 
summer  school  within  the  last  three  years.  Seven  of  this  number  at- 
tended six  weeks  or  less,  and  only  four  teachers  have  attended  16  or 
more  weeks.  Of  these  14  teacher's  who  have  attended  summer  school 
within  the  last  three  years,  three  have  come  into  the  system  within  the 
present  year,  and  the  terms  of  service  of  the  others  are  as  follows: 


Years  in 
system. 

1.. 

2.. 
3.. 

4.. 
7.  . 
9.. 


Number  of 
teachers. 


Among  those  attending  summer  school  there  is  only  one  principal,  and 
that  one  attended  only  six  weeks. 

In  the  High  School  ten  teachers  out  of  eighteen  have  attended  sum- 
mer school  within  the  last  three  years.  Only  four  teachers  of  this  group 
(which  includes  the  supervisors  of  music  and  arts  and  crafts)  have 
been  in  the  system  more  than  three  years. 

Only  one  teacher  reported  correspondence  work. 

Similar  data  from  other  cities  are  not  at  hand  for  comparison,  but  in 
the  absence  of  such  data  the  writer  believes  that  the  teachers  in  the 


54 


KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


elementary  schools  should  attend  summer  school  more.  These  data  were 
submitted  to  several  educators,  and  they  all  concurred  in  this  opinion. 
Half  of  the  teachers  have  been  in  the  system  seven  years  or  more,  and 
if  we  may  assume  that  the  percentage  of  attendance  upon  summer  school 
has  been  constant  for  the  last  seven  years,  probably  less  than  one-third 
of  these  teachers  have  attended  school  within  that  time.  When  we  con- 
sider the  development  in  educational  theory  and  practice  which  has  taken 
place  within  that  time,  the  importance  of  an  occasional  term  in  school  i? 
easily  recognized. 

The  responsibility  for  the  present  condition  probably  should  not  be 
placed  entirely  upon  the  teachers.  Without  adequate  salaries  teachers 
can  not  be  expected  to  attend  summer  schools,  but  now  that  the  com- 
munity is  paying  better  salaries,  the  community  may  reasonably  expect 
greater  efforts  toward  self -improvement  on  the  part  of  teachers. 

TIME   GIVEN    TO   SCHOOL   WORK   BY  TEACHERS. 

The  total  school  time,  including  both  the  time  spent  at  school  and  the 
time  away  from  school  spent  in  preparation  for  school  work,  according* 
to  the  teachers'  reports,  varies  from  1800  to  3500  minutes  per  week,  or 
from  30  hours  to  nearly  60  hours  per  week.  A  summary  of  the  reports  is 
given  in  Table  XV. 

TABLE  XV. 

Total  Time  Given  to  School  Work  by  Teachers,  Both  Elementary 
and  Secondary. 

Minutes  Number  of 

per  week.  teacher-,. 

2700 4 

2800 3 

2900 4 

3000 6 

3100 1 

3200 2 

3300 2 

3400 3 

3500 2 

The  most  significant  fact  in  this  table  is  the  great  range  of  variation 
in  the  total  school  time.  The  class  time  is  approximately  the  same  for  all 
teachers.  Hence  the  difference  in  the  total  time  is  due  primarily  to  the 
difference  in  the  amount  of  time  given  to  school  work  outside  of  the 
regular  school  hours. 

The  Survey  Staff  did  not  inquire  into  how  the  total  school  time  was 
spent,  but  a  few  instances  were  noted  of  teachers  spending  time  preparing' 
material  for  the  pupils  when  it  would  have  been  much  better  if  the  pupils 
had  begun  with  the  raw  material.  This  suggests  that  perhaps  the 
teachers  who  are  spending  large  amounts  of  time  on  school  work  are  not 
employing  it  as  wisely  as  they  might. 

The  system  of  records  and  reports  used  in  Leavenworth  Public  Schools 
is  moderately  elaborate,  and  a  few  teachers  mentioned  to  the  writer 
that  the  keeping  of  the  records  made  heavy  demands  upon  their  time. 


Minutes 
per  week. 

1800 

Number  of 
teachers. 

.       .            1 

1900 

o 

2000  

0 

2100 

5 

2200 

5 

2300 

2 

2400  

5 

2500  

1 

2600.. 

4 

SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        55 

Reports  are  now  made  quarterly,  and  in  the  elementary  school  they 
should  not  be  less  frequent.  Adequate  records  are  essential,  but  teachers 
should  not  be  overburdened  in  this  respect.  The  writer  is  not  able  to  say 
whether  they  are  at  present  or  not,  but  suggests  the  question  of  how  much 
time  is  required  for  the  records  and  reports  might  be  investigated.  The 
disposition  of  a  teacher's  time  is  just  as  important  as  the  amount  of  time 
given  to  school  work. 


56  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  COURSE  OF  STUDY  AND  ITS  ADMINISTRATION. 

Walter  S.  Monroe,  assisted  by  the  Staff. 

THE  course  of  study  of  the  public  schools  of  any  community  is  an  out- 
line of  the  education  which  the  public  schools  give  to  the  boys  and  girls 
of  the  community.  This  outline  specifies  how  the  boys  and  girls  are  ex- 
pected to  spend  their  time  in  school.  So  much  time  is  given  to  reading, 
to  grammar,  to  arithmetic,  to  history,  to  algebra,  to  manual  work,  to 
physics,  etc.  The  outline  also  sets  up  standards  of  attainment  in  the 
various  subjects. 

In  the  present  chapter  we  shall  discuss  the  general  principles  of  edu- 
cation and  the  educational  needs  of  Leavenworth  which  must  be  con- 
sidered in  the  making  of  an  efficient  course  of  study.  In  the  following 
chapters  the  details  of  the  school  subjects  will  be  considered. 

THE   BASIS   FOR   MAKING   A   COURSE   OF   STUDY. 

What  subjects  should  make  up  the  course  of  study  for  the  public 
schools  depends  upon  what  the  public  schools  are  expected  to  do  for  that 
community.  The  men  and  women  of  Leavenworth  who  are  now  carry- 
ing on  the  adult  activities  of  the  community  will  in  time  be  replaced  by 
another  generation.  If  those  who  are  now  children  are  to  undertake 
these  activities  and  perform  them  with  the  highest  degree  of  efficiency 
they  must  receive  preparation.  For  discussing  this  preparation,  we  have 
adopted  a  classification  of  the  activities  of  adults. 

1.  Vocational  activities,  or  those  activities  involved  in  providing  the 
necessities  of  life.  Before  those  who  are  now  boys  and  girls  in  the 
schools  take  their  place  in  the  occupations  of  the  community,  three  types 
of  preparation  are  required:  First,  they  must  have  some  concrete,  prac- 
tical experience  in  their  respective  occupations.  Second,  they  must  be 
acquainted  with  such  technical  and  scientific  knowledge  as  is  needed  for 
their  occupations.  Third,  they  must  possess  a  body  of  general  informa- 
tion. 

A  few  illustrations  will  make  this  clear.  Take  the  young  man  who 
becomes  a  clerk  in  a  grocery  store.  Before  he  can  render  service  to  his 
employer  which  justifies  a  living  wage,  he  must  have  some  practice  in 
wrapping  up  orders,  making  out  sales  slips,  meeting  customers,  arrang- 
ing goods,  etc.  In  addition  he  must  possess  some  technical  knowledge  of 
arithmetic,  of  qualities  of  foodstuffs,  of  the  art  of  salesmanship,  etc.  And 
he  will  be  still  more  valuable  to  his  employer  and  will  find  more  interest 
in  his  work  if  he  is  acquainted  with  the  places  which  produce  the  food- 
stuffs he  handles  daily,  with  the  problems  of  transportation,  distribution, 
etc.  Again,  the  girl  who  enters  an  office  as  a  stenographer  must  have  had 
practice  in  dictation  and  typewriting.  In  addition  she  must  possess  cer- 
tain technical  knowledge  as  to  business  forms.  Her  efficiency  will  be  of  a 
very  low  type  unless  she  also  possesses  a  considerable  fund  of  general 
information. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        57 

2.  Avocational  activities,  or  occupations  of  one's  leisure  time.     Our 
plan  of  living  is  providing  more  and  more  leisure  time.    This  is  not  a  mere 
accident,  for  leisure  time  is  necessary  to  the  life  and  well-being  of  every 
individual.     But  simply  to  have  leisure  time  is  not  enough;  it  must  be 
spent  in  wholesome  activities.     There  is  a  wide  range  of  such  activities — 
outdoor  sports  and  games;   the  propagation  and  cultivation  of  plants, 
particularly    flowers;    reading   and    study;    producing   and   listening   to 
music;  enjoyment  of  art  in  its  several  forms;  conversation;  special  studies 
in  science  (usually  called  a  hobby)  ;  travel,  etc.    Two  types  of  preparation 
are  required  for  these  activities.     First,  people  must  be  caused  to  prefer 
them  as  occupations  of  their  leisure  time,     Second,  they  must  be  trained 
to  participate  in  them  with  at  least  a  moderate  degree  of  skill ;  for  if  skill 
is  absent  the  desire  will  not  continue  «to  exist,  and  the  cultivation  of  skill 
will  tend  to  increase  the  desire. 

3.  Civic  and  moral  activities,  or  those  activities  which  have  to  do  with 
one's  contact  with  his  fellow  men.    No  one  lives  entirely  apart  from  other 
members  of  the  social  group.     Even  on  his  own  property  the  law  does 
not  allow  him  to  do  anything  which  will  harm  his  neighbor.     If  he  has  a 
contagious  disease  he  is  placed  under  quarantine.     If  a  property  owner 
carelessly  fails  to  keep  his  property  painted  and  in  repair  the  law  does 
not  interfere,  but  his  neighbors  may  subject  him  to  social  ostracism ;  and 
they  have  a  right  to  do  so,  because  on  account  of  his  carelessness  and 
indifference  the  civic  quality  of  the  neighborhood  is  lowered,  and  thus 
their  enjoyment  of  living  in  the  community  as  well  as  the  value  of  their 
property  is  lessened. 

There  are  many  occasions  when  a  person's  conduct  should  be  gov- 
erned by  consideration  of  the  rights  of  others.  Our  contacts  with  other 
people  are  many.  In  such  matters  as  health  and  sanitation  and  com- 
munity pride  they  extend  beyond  our  own  family  and  social  group  to  the 
entire  community.  In  many  instances  they  extend  beyond  the  com- 
munity to  the  state  and  the  nation.  A  delicate  personal  responsiveness 
to  the  rights  of  others  and  to  the  social  effect  of  our  conduct  is  necessary 
and  can  be  obtained  only  by  preparation. 

4.  Activities  relating  to  personal  health.     To  keep  physically  well  re- 
quires attention.     One  must  have  fresh  air,  sunlight,  be  clean,  eat  prop- 
erly prepared  and  appropriate  food,  be  clothed  properly,  and  take  exercise 
and  recreation.     Men  and  women  who  are  not  healthy  are  not  a  com- 
munity asset.    If  they  are  so  ill  that  they  can  not  pursue  their  vocations, 
the  community,  some  organization  or  some  individual  must  support  them. 
Even  if  not  incapacitated,  they  are  less  efficient  than  they  would  be  if 
they   were   in   proper   physical   condition.      Keeping  one's    self   in   good 
physical  condition  depends  largely  upon  appreciation  of  the  need,  knowl- 
edge of  the  means,  and  habit  of  using  the  means.    Training  in  childhood 
which  will  result  in  these  three  things  is  valuable  preparation  for  adult 
life. 

5.  Activities  of  social  intercourse.     Society  has  adopted  conventional 
rules  for  the  guidance  of  individuals  in  the  activities  of  social  inter- 
course.     These    activities   include    letter-writing,    conversation,   meeting 


58  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

strangers,  entertaining  in  one's  home,  formal  receptions,  and  publ'c 
meetings.  Conformance  with  the  recognized  standards  in  these  matters 
depends  upon,  first,  a  knowledge  of  what  are  the  accepted  standards,  and 
second,  sufficient  practice. 

6.  Activities  relating  to  home-building  and  parenthood.    The  activities 
which  are  connected  with  a  home  are  perhaps  the  most  important  re- 
sponsibilities which  come  to  a  man  or  a  woman.    The  social  and  economic 
changes  of  the  last  quarter  of  a  century  have  made  home-making  and 
parenthood  much  more  complex  than  a  generation  ago,  and  in  addition 
have  raised  the  standards.     Therefore  increased  preparation  for  these 
activities  is  required  and  is  justified  by  their  importance. 

7.  Religious  activities.     Since  the  preparation  for  them  is  given  by 
the  church  and  the  home,  they  will  net  be  discussed  here. 

EDUCATIONAL   AGENCIES. 

Now  that  we  have  indicated  the  scope  of  the  preparation  which  must 
be  given  to  the  boys  and  girls  of  Leavenworth  before  they  can  be  ex- 
pected to  engage  with  efficiency  in  the  activities  which  will  be  demanded 
of  them — vocational,  avocational,  civic  and  moral,  health,  social,  home- 
building  and  parenthood,  and  religious — it  is  appropriate  that  we  inquire 
what  agencies  are  available  for  giving  this  preparation.  These  are: 
the  home;  the  vocation;  the  church;  the  social  groups  to  which  each  indi- 
vidual belongs;  institutions  such  as  newspapers,  theaters,  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
libraries,  etc.;  and  finally,  the  public  schools. 

There  was  a  time  even  in  Leavenworth  when  the  home,  the  vocation 
and  the  social  group  provided  most  of  the  preparation.  But  since  that 
time  in  the  early  history  of  the  community,  two  changes  have  taken  place. 
The  home,  the  vocation,  the  social  group  have  decreased  the  preparation 
which  they  give  the  child.  At  the  same  time  the  scope  of  adult  activities 
and  the  preparation  required  have  increased.  Thus  a  wide  gap  has  been 
created  between  the  supply  and  the  demand.  The  Leavenworth  Public 
Schools  may  well  assume  the  responsibility  of  providing  the  needed  prep- 
aration which  is  not  being  provided  by  the  other  institutions  of  the  com- 
munity. 

TIME   ALLOTMENT. 

Table  XVI  gives  in  the  first  column  the  average  per  cent  of  time  given 
in  fifty  cities  to  the  subjects  in  the  elementary  school,  and  the  second 
column  the  per  cent  of  time  given  to  these  subjects  in  Leavenworth.  A 
comparison  of  the  two  columns  shows  that  in  Leavenworth  a  smaller  per 
cent  of  the  school  time  is  given  to  opening  exercises,  reading,  language, 
history  and  civics,  and  recess  (supervised  play).  A  larger  per  cent  of 
the  school  time  is  given  to  spelling,  penmanship,  arithmetic,  drawing,  and 
music.  In  Table  XVII  the  distribution  of  the  teaching  time  in  the  High 
School  is  given. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        59 


TABLE  XVI. 

Table  showing  distribution  of  time  and  salary,  cost  of  instruction  in  the 
elementary  school,  not  including  special  supervisors  except  in  domestic 
science  and  manual  training. 

(The  average  for  50  cities  is  taken  from  the  Fourteenth  Year  Book  of  the  National  Society 
for  the  Study  of  Education.) 


SUBJECT. 

Per  cent  of  time. 

Cost  of  instruction. 

Average 
for  50 
cities. 

Leaven- 
worth. 

Total. 

Per 
cent. 

Third 
Avenue. 

Oak 

Street. 

Morris. 

Opening  exercises  

3.5 

1.8 

$803 

1.8 

1.6 

2.0 

1.2 

Reading  

17.0 

16.0 

6,884 

15.2 

15.7 

16.0 

14.3 

language  

11.0 

10.3 

4,476 

9.9 

11.0 

14.8 

11.8 

Spelling  

5.9 

7.9 

3,532 

7.8 

9.3 

6.5 

6.8 

Penmanship  

4.7 

5.8 

2,622 

5.8 

5.6 

5.8 

5.3 

Arithmetic  

12.7 

15.4 

7,290 

16  0 

17.3 

15.4 

18.0 

Geography  

6.1 

6.6 

3,014 

6.7 

7.9 

7.8 

'      7.0 

History*  and  civics  

4.6 

1.7 

922 

2.0 

3.6 

3.3 

3.1 

Physiology  and  hygiene  
Nature  study  

H 

2  2 
2.2 

990 

886 

2.2 
2.0 

2.0 
1.5 

2.5 
0.9 

2.8 
1.0 

Drawing  

5.3 

7.8 

3,600 

8.0 

6.6 

7.7 

11.7 

Music  

47 

6.5 

3,048 

6.7 

6.7 

3.3 

8.8 

Manual  training  

4.1 

3.1 

1,445 

3.2 

2.1 

2.0 

1.7 

Physical  training  

4.4 

3.7 

M29 

3.6 

2.8 

3.0 

4.3 

P.ecess  (supervised  play)  

7.3 

5.7 

2,368 

5.2 

6.9 

9.0 

2.2 

Domestic  science  

3.2 

1,700 

3.8 

Miscellaneous  

5.1 



TABLE  XVII. 
Table  Showing  Distribution  of  Teaching  Time  in  the  High  School. 


SUBJECT. 

Median  for 
24  cities. 

Leavenworth 
High  School. 

English  

17.2 

16.5 

Mathematics  

14.0 

16.5 

History  

10.2 

6.6 

Science  

13.7 

13.2 

Modern  languages  

8.8 

6.6 

Latin  

8.8 

9.9 

Household  occupations  

6.9 

8.8 

Shop  work  

7.5 

11.0 

Commercial  

12.7 

6.6 

Normal  training  

4.4 

4.4 

*No  note  taken  of  historical  reading  in  the  classes  in  literature  and  reading. 


60  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

THE   VOCATIONAL   NEEDS    OF   LEAVEN  WORTH. 

The  occupations  of  Leavenworth,  given  on  page  20,  have  been  classi- 
fied by  Superintendent  Moore,  as  given  in  Table  XVIII : 

TABLE  XVIII. 

Classification  of  the  Occupations  of  Leavenworth. 

I.     PROFESSIONAL. — Those  who  require  as  a  basis  for  their  college  training  such 
courses  as  are  offered  by  the  standard  traditional  High  School: 

Undertakers     11 

Pharmacists      15 

Civil    engineers    3 

Doctors,    dentists,    specialists,    lawyers,    etc 83 

Teachers     138 

Ministers     33 

Draftsmen    and    architects 3 

Total 286 

Per    cent    2.9 

II.  ENTERPRENEURS. — Managers  of  extensive  business  who  require  at  least  a 
general  high-school  course  as  the  basis  of  a  wide  experience  or  a  technical  col- 
lege training: 

Contractors    (a)     5 

Managers    (c)     20 

Dealers   (a)    17 

Manufacturers      45 

Total     ,.  . 87 

Per    cent    0.9 

III.  COMMERCIAL  SKILL. — Those  who  require  a  commercial  course  of  two,  three  or 
four  years,  together  with  general  training  such  as  is  offered  in  the  Leaven- 
worth High  School: 

Accountants      254 

Salesmen   and   agents 175 

Railroad  employees    (a) 41 

Stenographers  and  reporters 93 


Contractors    (&) 
Managers    (a) 
Clerks    (a)    and    (&).' 


54 
249 
664 

328 


Dealers    (a)    and    (b) 

Liverymen    8 

Hotelkeepers    (a)     7 

Real  estate  and  insurance 57 

Publishers     15 

Restauranteurs     18 

Total 1,963 

Per    cent    20 

IV.  INDUSTRIAL  SKILL. — Those  who  require  at  least  an  elementary  education  as 
it  is  offered  in  the  departmental  schools  of  Leavenworth,  together  with  the 
elements  of  industrial  training.  In  Leavenworth  these  workers  seem  to 
divide  into  two  groups,  as  follows: 

1.  Industries  for  which  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools  provide  or  partially 
provide  industrial  training: 

Machine    operators     (&) 184 

Woodworkers 475 

Milliners     15 

Seamstresses     185 

Cooks    (a)    and    (b) 47 

Total     926 

Per    cent    9.4 

2.  Industries  for  which  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools  offer   no  industrial 
training: 

Chauffeurs    9 

Bookbinders     8 

Machine  operators   (a) 103 

Painters    and    decorators 120 

Photographers    12 

Iron  workers 125 

Silver-   and   goldsmiths.  . 10 

Cement    workers     .- 93 

Plasterers     92 

Stone  cutters    10 

Bakers    12 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        61 

2.    Industries  for  which  the  Leaveirworth  Public   Schools  offer  no  industrial 
training: 

Electricians    ' 27 

Engineers    and    firemen 134 

Shoemakers     31 

Plumbers    and    fitters 52 

Nurses    44 

Barbers     76 

•  Farmers,    gardeners,    etc 139 

Tailors    53 

Butchers   and   meat   cutters 34 

Printers    44 

Musicians     22 

Managers    (b)    28 

Total     1,278 

Per    cent    13 

V.  SLIGHT  SKILL. — Those  who  require  at  least  an  elementary  education  of  a 
general  nature,  consisting  of  practical  courses  in  (1)  applied  arithmetic, 
(2)  applied  elementary  English,  (3)  elementary  science,  both  physical  and 
biological,  (4)  manual  and  industrial  arts,  (5)  arts  and  crafts,  both  practical 
and  appreciative,  (6)  elementary  social  science,  including  history  and  citizen- 
ship: 

Telephone   operators    •     91 

Railroad    employees     164 

Soldiers 135 

Laundresses     88 

Confectioners   and   hucksters 34 

Domestics      162 

Messengers     22 

Liverymen    (b)     92 

Rooming-house  keepers 46 

Housekeepers     (hired)     10 

Mail  carriers 26 

Laborers     1,833 

Federal   guards    » 93 

Miners    623 

Total 3,419 

Per    cent    35 

VI.    MISCELLANEOUS: 

Unclassified    853 

Apprentices    444 

Widows     945 

Students     24 

Total     1,866 

Per   cent    19 


GRAND  TOTAL    9,825 

PREPARATION   FOR  VOCATIONAL   ACTIVITIES. 

Superintendent  Moore  has  made  the  following  observations  concerning 
the  facts  of  Table  XVIII: 

The  above  investigation  shows  that  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools  are 
prepared  fully  to  accommodate  only  two  of  the  great  divisions, 
namely:  Number.  Percent. 

The  professional  division    286  2.9 

The  enterpreneurs 87  .9 

With  some  enlargements,  both  in  plant  and  faculty,  our  commercial 
department  in  the  High  School  would  become  an  adequate  prepara- 
tion for  the — 

Commercial  division    1,963  20 

Our  courses  in  manual  training,  domestic  arts  and  sciences,  and  arts 
and  crafts  provide  perhaps  about  80  per  cent  of  an  adequate  prep- 
aration for — • 

Division  (1)   industrial  skill 926  9.4 

With  our  new  arrangement  of  the  department  buildings,  our  ele- 
mentary schools  will  adequately  provide,  after  some  reorganization 
of  subject  matter  and  the  addition  of  some  apparatus,  for  a  basis 
for  all  classes  and  perhaps  a  sufficient  school  education  for — 

The  slightly  skilled  division 3,419  35 


62  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

There  remains  a  group  of  the  unclassified,  the  widows,   the  students, 
and  a  number  listed  in  the  directory  as  apprentices,  making  in  all — 

A  miscellaneous   group 1,866  19 

Excepting  a  basal  elementary  general  training,  our  schools  do  not  pro- 
vide training  for- — 

Division  (2)  industrial  division 1,278  13 

This  appears  to  be  a  just  general  estimate  of  the  preparation  for 
vocational  activities  which  Leavenworth  is  providing  at  present.  The 
school  can  not  conveniently  supply  concrete,  practical  experience  in  such 
vocations  as  manufacturing  stoves  and  ice,  paperhanging,  bricklaying, 
etc.,  but  the  school  can  economically  supply  the  technical  and  general 
preparation  even  for  these  vocations.  In  the  case  of  other  vocations,  such 
as  bookkeeping,  stenography,  teaching,  carpentering  (simple  phases), 
cabinetmaking,  dressmaking,  gardening,  etc.,  the  school  can  easily  pro- 
vide much  of  the  necessary  practical  preparation  as  well  as  the  technical 
and  general  preparation.  Much  the  same  thing  is  true  for  the  other 
classes  of  activities.  Some  of  the  preparation  can  be  given  best  by 
other  institutions,  but  for  the  giving  of  some  the  public  school  is  the  most 
suitable  agency. 

In  the  elementary  school  courses  in  sewing  are  now  given  for  girls  in 
the  fifth,  sixth  and  seventh  grades,  and  cooking  in  the  eighth  grade,  one 
period  of  eighty  minutes  per  week  being  devoted  to  this  work.  During 
the  same  period  the  boys  of  the  seventh  and  eighth  grades  have  bench 
work,  and  the  fifth  and  sixth  grades  have  preparatory  courses  in  card- 
board and  wood.  The  provision  which  Leavenworth  has  made  for  these 
subject^  probably  compares  favorably  with  that  in  other  cities,  but  the 
Survey  Staff  believe  some  extensions  of  this  work  could  be  made  with 
profit.  For  example,  the  boys  in  the  sixth,  seventh  and  eighth  grades 
might  be  encouraged  to  bring  broken  chairs  and  tables  and  be  taught  to 
mend  them.  They  should  be  taught  to  mend  fences  and  hang  gates,  build 
chicken  coops  and  small  sheds,  reglaze  broken  windows,  make  and  hang 
screen  doors,  and  to  do  the  numerous  other  odd  jobs  which  call  for  an 
intelligent  use  of  tools. 

A  similar  plan  could  be  carried  out  for  the  girls,  providing  instruc- 
tion in  plain  cooking,  sewing,  and  housekeeping,  which  would  not  only 
lead  to  more  efficient  home-keeping,  but  also  help  those  who  wish  to  go 
into  domestic  service.  The  sewing  courses  might  lead  in  due  time  co 
thorough  preparation  in  millinery,  dressmaking,  and  tailoring,  the  latter 
open  to  boys  as  well  as  girls.  In  the  Morris  and  Lincoln  schools  there  is 
now  available  building  space  for  this  work,  and  it  would  be  particularly 
valuable  to  the  children  attending  those  schools. 

SCHOOL   GARDENS. 

Preparation  for  gardening,  which  is  an  important  occupation  in  Leav- 
enworth, will  require  school  gardens.  The  work  in  nature  study  does 
not  now  extend  beyond  the  third  grade. 

School  gardens  are  no  longer  an  experiment,  and  besides  providing 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        63 

vocational  preparation,  they  are  very  valuable  in  another  way.    The  Com- 
missioner of  Education  says  in  his  recent  report  (1913)  : 

"There  is  need  of  suitable  educative,  purposeful,  productive  occupation 
for  millions  of  school  children  in  our  cities,  towns,  manufacturing  villages 
and  suburban  districts  who  now  have  not  proper  employment  out  of 
school  hours.  .  .  .  Home  gardening  done  by  the  children  under  the 
direction  of  the  schools  seems  to  offer  what  is  needed.  In  all  of  the 
manufacturing  villages,  suburban  communities  and  smaller  towns,  and  in 
the  outskirts  of  the  larger  towns  and  cities,  there  is  much  valuable  land 
in  the  back  yards,  vacant  lots  and  elsewhere  which  might  be  used  for  this 
purpose.  In  every  school  in  a  community  of  this  kind  there  should  be  at 
least  one  teacher  who  knows  gardening  both  theoretically  and  prac- 
tically. This  teacher,  who  should,  of  course,  be  employed  twelve  months 
in  the  year,  should  teach  the  elementary  sciences  in  the  schools  during 
school  hours,  and  should  out  of  school  fcours  direct  the  home  gardening  of 
the  children  between  the  ages  of  6  or  7  and  14  or  15." 

The  Survey  Staff  believes  that  there  is  need  in  Leavenworth  for  just 
this  type  of  work. 

Geography  and  history  contribute  to  the  general  information  which 
is  needed  for  vocational  activities.  In  comparison  with  the  average  for 
other  cities,  the  provision  for  history  appears  inadequate.  A  course  in 
elementary  science  would  furnish  valuable  technical  information.  This 
should  include  more  than  the  school  gardens  which  were  mentioned 
above.  Such  a  course  is  being  planned  for  next  year. 

But  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  function  of  the  public  school  in- 
cludes much  more  than  preparation  for  vocational  activities.  If  it  is  to 
fulfill  its  total  function  it  must  provide  preparation  for  the  other  classes 
of  activities  which  we  have  enumerated. 

PREPARATION    FOR   AVOCATIONAL   ACTIVITIES. 

Preparation  for  avocational  activities  is  provided  for  in  part  by  read- 
ing, music,  drawing,  and  supervised  plays  and  games.  Other  activities  of 
the  school,  such  as  the  literary,  dramatic  and  social,  also  contribute.  The 
extension  of  the  course  in  nature  study  which  has  been  recommended  will 
strengthen  the  preparation  for  this  type  of  activities.  It  can  be  still 
further  strengthened  by  more  adequate  provision  for  plays  and  games 
and  their  supervision,  especially  supervision  of  playgrounds  during  vaca- 
tion. For  other  recommendations  see  the  reports  on  literature,  drawing 
and  physical  training. 

PREPARATION    FOR   CIVIC   AND    MORAL   ACTIVITIES. 

The  Survey  Staff  believes  that  the  most  efficient  preparation  for  moral 
activities  can  be  given  incidentally.  Morals  and  manners  are  listed  in 
the  printed  course  of  study  as  an  incidental  minor  for  all  grades,  but  the 
teachers  reported  no  time  given  to  the  subject.  This  is  as  it  should  be. 
There  are  three  sources  of  moral  training :  first,  the  activities .  of  the 
school;  second,  the  methods  of  teaching;  and  third,  the  course  of  study. 

The  effectiveness  of  this  incidental  teaching  in  Leavenworth  was 
clearly  evident.  The  pupils  were  exceptionally  courteous  to  members  of 
the  Survey  Staff  as  well  as  to  their  teachers  and  playmates.  The  build- 
ings, inside  and  outside,  were  exceptionally  free  from  markings  by  pupils ; 
and  this  freedom  is  an  index  of  the  moral  tone  of  the  school. 


64  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

School  assemblies  offer  an  opportunity  for  developing  a  social  con- 
sciousness. With  the  three  auditoriums  which  are  now  planned  for  next  I 
year  there  will  be  increased  opportunity  for  this  valuable  phase  of  school 
work.  The  per  cent  of  time  given  to  opening  exercises  in  Leavenworth 
is  less  than  half  of  the  average  for  other  cities.  It  is  recommended  that 
the  time  for  this  purpose  be  increased.  For  additional  recommendations 
for  school  assemblies  see  page  65. 

History  and  civics  contribute  directly  to  the  preparation  for  civic  and 
moral  activities.  Their  value  in  this  connection  is  another  reason  for 
recommending  that  additional  time  be  given  to  these  subjects.  For  the 
recommendations  concerning  literature  see  page  147. 

In  addition  to  these  facilities  for  moral  training,  the  Leavenworth 
public  schools  have  a  system  of  bank  savings.  This  tends  to  cultivate 
thrift  and,  more  important,  a  sense  of  value  and  the  recognition  of  prop- 
erty rights.  Bank  savings  have  also  a  bearing  on  the  preparation  for 
vocational  activities. 

PREPARATION    FOR   ACTIVITIES   OF   PERSONAL   HEALTH. 

Preparation  for  the  activities  relating  to  personal  health  is  provided 
for  by  physiology  and  hygiene,  physical  culture,  and  plays  and  games. 
The  Survey  Staff  believes  that  this  work  should  be  extended.  Specific 
recommendations  are  given  in  later  chapters.  See  pages  113  and  141. 

PREPARATION 'FOR   ACTIVITIES   OF    SOCIAL   INTERCOURSE. 

The  group  activities  of  the  school,  such  as  athletic  clubs,  literary  and 
dramatic  societies,  boy  scouts  and  similar  organizations,  etc.,  furnish 
preparation  for  these  activities.  Some  preparation  is  given  incidentally 
in  the  activities  of  the  classroom  and  playground.  The  auditoriums  will 
make  the  extension  of  these  activities  possible.  See  page  65  for  recom- 
mendations. 

PREPARATION    FOR   ACTIVITIES   OF    HOME-BUILDING   AND   PARENTHOOD. 

Partial  preparation  for  these  activities  is  given  by  the  courses  in 
manual  training  and  domestic  art  and  science.  The  extensions  recom- 
mended for  these  courses  will  provide  additional  preparation.  See  pages 
106  and  164.  Courses  in  household  accounting  and  hygiene  (in  the  High 
School)  are  also  recommended. 

BANK    SAVINGS. 

The  system  of  bank  savings  in  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools  was  be- 
gun about  three  years  ago.  Briefly  the  plan  is  this :  Any  bank  may  send 
a  representative  once  every  two  weeks  to  each  school  building  to  receive 
deposits,  the  schedule  being  approved  by  the  superintendent,  and  the 
representatives  of  no  two  banks  appearing  in  any  school  on  the  same  day. 
The  banker  opens  his  bank  in  the  hall  or  principal's  office  between  the 
hours  of  8  and  8:30  a.m.  Each  child  deposits  at  that  time,  if  he  so  de- 
sires, and  receives  a  deposit  slip.  Two  of  the  local  banks  have  taken 
advantage  of  the  opportunity  offered.  Both  signify  their  intention  of 
continuing  the  plan,  although  they  agree  that  it  is  not  self-supporting. 
Incidentally  it  may  be  noted  that  this  is  typical  of  the  spirit  of  cooperation 
which  should  exist  between  business  and  the  public  schools. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        65 

During  the  first  three-quarters  of  the  present  school  year  3384  de- 
posits were  made  by  the  children  in  the  elementary  schools.  The  number 
of  depositors  and  the  total  amount  of  the  deposits  were  not  obtained 
because  it  is  believed  that  the  number  of  acts  of  depositing  is  more 
significant. 

THE    USE   OF    SCHOOL   ASSEMBLY   HALLS. 

By  September,  1914,  assembly  halls  will  have  been  provided  at  Morris, 
Third  Avenue  and  Oak  Street  schools.  It  is  hoped,  also,  that  these  halls 
will  be  used  frequently  in  the  evenings  for  parents'  meetings  and  neigh- 
borhood discussions  and  for  social  entertainments.  Rightly  used,  such  a 
gathering  place  becomes  the  very  center  of  the  social  and  intellectual 
activities  of  the  school  and  the  community.  In  addition,  the  entire 
school  should  assemble  every  day  for- a  period  not  longer  than  thirty 
minutes.  Because  of  the  necessities  of  the  case,  most  of  the  day  in  the 
modern  school  is  spent  in  isolated  groups,  where  the  special  needs  of 
children  of  varying  ages  can  be  properly  ministered  to;  but  it  is  also 
essential  for  unity  and  growth  into  good  social  and  civic  consciousness 
that  these  groups  should  get  together  at  least  once  a  day;  that  they 
should  have  a  time  to  cooperate  for  the  pleasure  and  well-being  of  the 
whole;  a  place  to  contribute  and  share  their  best  and  choicest  experiences. 
Here  the  child  will  learn  that  he  is  a  member  of  a  school  community,  and 
that  as  such  he  has  duties  as  well  as  rights  and  privileges.  Here,  without 
exception,  each  child  should  take  his  turn  and  do  his  share  in  making 
these  daily  assemblies  the  most  useful  and  delightful  periods  of  the  day. 
Here  the  children  and  teachers  may  learn  to  know  every  one  in  the  school. 
The  little  ones  learn  much  from  the  older  ones,  and  the  older  ones  gain 
real  sympathy  and  appreciation  for  the  little  ones,  and  a  spirit  of  help- 
fulness and  protection  results  that  is  in  marked  contrast  to  the  attitude 
which  too  often  exists  between  the  older  and  younger  members  of  a  school. 

To  establish  such  a  practice  in  the  school  takes  time  and  steady,  per- 
sistent effort,  perhaps  for  more  than  a  year,  but  the  results  more  than 
repay  for  the  energy  and  effort  expended.  The  older  children  gradually 
realize  the  value,  even  to  themselves,  of  the  clear  thinking  and  definite 
preparation  that  is  needed  before  they  can  be  understood  by  an  audience 
ranging  in  age  from  children  of  kindergarten  to  the  adults — members  of 
the  faculty.  It  is  not  a  small  thing  for  eighth-grade  boys  and  girls  to 
succeed  in  making  a  current-events  exercise,  through  the  use  of  maps 
and  pictures,  intelligible  to  younger  children,  and  at  the  same  time  inter- 
esting to  the  rest  of  the  audience;  or  for  a  high-school  group  in  a  chem- 
istry exercise,  through  carefully  made  models,  to  show  the  proportion  of 
the  different  gases  that  make  up  common  air.  In  the  latter  example, 
perhaps  they  may  not  succeed  in  making  the  little  children  understand 
all  about  it,  but  certainly  their  expression  succeeds  in  clarifying  this 
work  in  the  minds  of  the  pupils  giving  the  exercise,  and  the  little  children 
get  out  of  it  the  spirit  and  influence  of  this  serious  social  effort. 

For  the  little  children  the  good  effect  of  the  daily  meeting  is  per- 
fectly obvious.  It  is  the  greatest  possible  incentive  to  them  for  the  best 
expression;  the  greatest  possible  opportunity  for  drill  under  good  mo- 
tives; the  greatest  possible  means  of  overcoming  self-consciousness  and 

—5 


66  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

contributing  one's  self  to  the  community  good.  Miss  Martha  Fleming,  of 
Chicago,  who  has  had  wide  experience  with  children  in  such  daily  meet- 
ings,  says  that  the  conditions  surrounding  these  exercises  are  ideal  for 
the  cultivation  of  the  powers  of  expression — "an  audience  and  a  child  with 
something  to  tell" — and  that  they  are  of  untold  educative  value,  since 
they  present  an  opportunity  and  make  a  natural  demand  for  a  great 
variety  of  expression.  The  child  plans,  he  speaks,  he  acts,  for  the 
pleasure  and  enlightenment  of  other  people.  Children  accustomed  from 
early  childhood  to  an  audience  learn  to  think  and  speak  upon  their  feet, 
so  that  people  may  hear  and  understand  them.  It  is  the  habit  of  meeting 
an  audience  every  day  from  the  beginning  that  tells;  that  gives  power 
and  skill  and  self-possession.  Children  trained  in  this  way  never  ex- 
perience the  agony  of  self-consciousness  that  it  means  to  those  educated 
in  self-repression  instead  of  self-expression. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  while  pupils  constantly  gain  useful  in- 
formation in  these  exercises,  the  gaining  of  knowledge  is  not  its  sole  end. 
Indeed,  it  is  not  even  its  chief  purpose ;  it  is  rather  an  attitude  of  appre- 
ciation which  is  cultivated  in  the  children  through  emotions  which  are 
aroused,  through  ideals  which  are  engendered,  through  the  daily  habit  of 
singing  together  beautiful  songs  and  of  hearing  bits  of  inspiring  litera- 
ture, and,  either  as  performer  or  as  listener,  of  contributing  each  one  his 
best  to  the  common  good.  In  short,  we  believe  that  the  morning  exer- 
cise, at  its  best,  is  a  soul-expanding  and  heart-warming  process  which 
contains  the  very  essence  of  normal  and  natural  social  education,  and  that 
it  is  the  factor  in  school  life  which  works  most  directly  and  effectively 
toward  the  good  citizenship  which  is  the  goal  of  all  our  schools. 

THE    METHOD   OF  THE   SURVEY   OF   THE    SCHOOL    SUBJECTS. 

The  courses  of  study  for  particular  subjects  and  the  teaching  of  them 
were  examined  in  three  ways: 

First.  Actual  visitation  of  teachers  in  their  classrooms.  The  teachers 
were  requested  to  proceed  with  their  regular  work,  and  the  several  mem- 
bers of  the  Survey  Staff  entered  classrooms  unannounced.  Every  teacher 
above  the  third  grade  was  visited  for  at  least  a  full  class  period,  and  a 
number  were  visited  more  than  once.  The  work  in  the  first  three  grades 
was  surveyed  in  a  soniewhat  different  manner,  but  every  teacher  was 
considered. 

Second.  Numerous  conferences  were  held  with  teachers  to  determine 
their  purpose  and  point  of  view  as  well  as  the  course  of  study  as  actually 
taught.  These  conferences  were  supplemented  by  a  general  request  to  all 
teachers  in  the  form  of  a  "questionnaire  to  ascertain  method  of  teaching," 
which  contained  directions  as  follows: 

Select  a  topic  which  you  actually  taught  during  the  past  quarter  and 
which  you  consider  you  taught  effectively. 

Describe  below  your  method  of  teaching  the  topic,  including: 

(a)     The  pages  in  the  text. 

(6)     The  assignments  which  you  made. 

(c)  The  order  in  which  you  took  up  the  topic. 

(d)  Your  method  of  presenting  it. 

(ej    Why  you  consider  your  teaching  of  the  topic  effective. 
This  topic  should  cover  at  least  one  whole  recitation  and  not  more  than 
five.    If  you  teach  more  than  one  subject,  select  a  topic  from  each.     Be 
brief  and  specific. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        67 

Third.  Tests  for  which  comparative  data  were  secured  were  given  in 
arithmetic,  handwriting,  spelling,  grammar,  and  algebra. 

In  observing  the  classroom  work  use  was  made  of  the  following  ob- 
servation blank: 

OBSERVATION  BLANK. 

Name  of  teacher Building 

Grade Class  in Time  of  day 

Lesson  on type  of  lesson ; 

study,  development,  application,  recitation,  review,  drill. 

Approximate   number   in   class ;    boys ;    girjs 

Teacher's  knowledge  of — 

Subject  matter:    Excellent,  good,  fair,  poor. 

Organization:    Excellent,  good,  fair,  poor. 

Function  of  subject  matter:    Excellent,  good,  fair,  poor. 
A  brief  narrative  of  what  was  done: .*i 

Results  as  judged  by  the  effects  upon  the  pupils — 

1.  Motive    

2.  Evaluation     

3.  Organization    

4.  Initiative  

5.  Acquisition   (do  pupils  know  the  subject  matter?) 

Was  the  instruction  on  the  lower  plane,  attempted  higher,  or  higher? 

Do  the  pupils  appear  to  like  the  subject?     Like,  indifferent,  dislike. 

Per  cent  of  pupils  actively  attending  lesson Why  active? 

Who  is  doing  the  work — teacher  or  pupils?     Was  the  subject  matter  suitable  to  the  ma- 
turity and  past  experience  of  the  pupils? 

What  use  does  the  teacher  make  of  the  text? 

Assignment,    how   made? 

Discipline  and  classroom  routine:    Good,  fair,  poor. 

Type  of  discipline:    Military,  personal,  social. 

Remarks:     

For  using  the  blank  the  following  directions  were  prepared: 

In  judging  the  motive,  the  question  is,  What  kinds  of  motives  are  moving  the  pupils  to 
action?  Are'they  artificial  incentives;  e.  g.,  a  reward,  fear  of  punishment,  respect  for  the 
authority  of  the  teacher  or  school,  the  competition  of  the  social  group,  desire  to  make  a 
good  showing,  etc.?  Or  are  they  real  motives;  i.  e.,  do  the  pupils  appreciate  the  intrinsic 
function  of  the  subject  matter  and  are  they  developing  a  liking  for  the  subject  because  they 
are  coming  to  realize  the  usefulness  of  the  subject? 

In  judging  of  the  consideration  of  values  by  pupils,  it  should  be  noted  whether  the 
teacher  conducts  the  class  period  in  such  a  way  as  to  require  the  pupils  to  consider 
relative  values,  as  well  as  whether  the  pupils  exhibit  ability  to  evaluate. 

The  above  paragraph  also  applies  to  the  attention  to  organization  by  pupils.  Whether 
the  pupils  make  an  attempt  to  organize  depends  upon  the  type  of  questions  which  the 
teacher  asks.  If  the  teacher  asks  only  detailed  questions  there  is  no  need  for  organization. 

Under  initiative,  the  questions  are :  Are  the  pupils  planning  for  the  things  which  they 
do,  or  are  they  simply  following  the  detailed  directions  of  the  teacher?  Does  the  teacher 
permit  opportunity  for  the  exercise  of  initiative,  or  does  she  make  the  exercise  of  initiative 
impossible  because  of  her  detailed  specifications  both  in  assignments  and  in  conducting  the 
recitations  ? 

In  determining  the  "plane"  of  instruction,  one  should  have  in  mind  primarily  what  the 
pupils  are  actually  doing,  and  not  what  the  teacher  may  do. 

If  the  teacher  is  taking  the  lead,  is  in  the  foreground,  if  the  pupils  are  moved  by 
artificial  incentives,  if  the  questions  call  simply  for  detailed  facts,  and  if  the  class  period 
is  spent  by  having  the  pupils  recite  to  the  teacher  what  they  have  read,  the  instruction  is 
on  the  lower  plane. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  the  pupils  are  taking  the  lead,  if  the  teacher  is  in  the  background, 
if  lines  of  thought  are  pursued  in  which  data  are  evaluated  and  organized,  and  if  the 
pupils  are  doing  this  because  they  appreciate  the  function  of  the  subject  matter,  the  in- 
struction is  on  the  higher  plane. 


68  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  PRIMARY  GRADES. 

Flora  J.  Cooke. 
THE    METHOD   OF    SURVEY. 

THE  following  report  is  based  upon  a  week's  observations  in  the  pri- 
mary grades  of  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools.  The  first  three  grades 
in  seven  schools  were  visited,  and  twenty  of  the  thirty  primary  teachers 
were  observed  in  not  less  than  two  and  not  more  than  three  lessons.  In 
addition  to  this,  these  teachers  also  submitted  programs  of  work,  an- 
alyses of  lessons,  and  specimens  of  children's  work  for  examination. 

The  principals  all  showed  the  deepest  interest  and  concern  in  the  wel- 
fare of  the  teachers,  and  the  teachers  expressed  enthusiastically  their 
appreciation  of  the  help  received  from  the  principals  and  from  the 
superintendent.  The  relations  between  the  children  and  the  teachers  were 
also  genuinely  good  in  spirit.  During  the  entire  week  I  heard  no  harsh 
word  spoken,  and  saw  no  unruly  child  in  any  school,  while  marks  of 
interest — even  of  affection — existed  in  every  part  of  the  school  system. 

DISCIPLINE. 

There  are  two  types  of  school  discipline.  One  may  be  described  as 
military.  Under  this  type  there  is  absolute  obedience  to  authority  with 
very  little  exercise  of  initiative  on  the  part  of  the  pupils.  The  activities 
of  the  schoolroom  are  performed  in  response  to  signals.  For  example, 
all  children  stand  when  called  upon,  and  remain  standing  until  excused 
by  the  teacher.  There  is  a  uniformity  of  response  on  the  part  of  the 
part  of  the  children  to  the  demands  of  the  teacher  which  is  depressing  to 
an  observer  used  to  great  freedom  in  the  activities  of  children.  The  other 
type  may  be  called  "socialized"  school  discipline.  There  is  less  uniformity, 
more  initiative  on  the  part  of  the  children,  sufficient  freedom  and  oppor- 
tunity to  carry  out  simple  projects,  to  make  childish  mistakes.  More 
emphasis  is  placed  upon  social  motives. 

Opinions  differ  as  to  which  type  of  discipline  is  preferable,  but  the 
writer  believes  that  to  the  excellent  results  which  are  now  obtained  in 
the  primary  grades  in  Leavenworth,  others  might  be  added  by  discarding 
somewhat  of  the  military  system  which  prevails  and  by  appealing  more 
to  social  motives  and  allowing  opportunity  for  initiative  in  some  activi- 
ties.* 

The  superintendent  and  principals  stated  that  much  individual  free- 
dom was  given  to  the  teachers  of  experience  and  ability,  and  it  should  be 
understood  that  the  superintendent  and  many  teachers  are  in  hearty 
accord  with  many  of  the  changes  which  are  recommended  in  this  report. 
In  fact,  several  improvements  here  suggested  have  already  been  planned 
for;  among  these  are  plans  for  larger  and  better-equipped  playgrounds 
for  certain  schools,  and  for  several  assembly  halls. 

*  The  Survey  Staff  indorses  this  recommendation  and  believes  that  it  might  be  profit- 
ably applied  in  all  grades  of  the  elementary  school. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        69 

Only  the  four  so-called  "major"  subjects  from  the  course  of  study  will 
be  analyzed  with  any  degree  of  fullness. 

READING. 

This  is  a  "major"  subject  in  all  of  the  primary  grades.  In  the  first 
grade  the  natural  "look  and  say"  method  of  teaching  reading  is  em- 
phasized. The  teachers  are  warned  against  the  too  early  analysis  of 
words  into  sounds,  and  also  against  permitting  the  mechanics  of  reading 
to  crowd  out  interpretation.  The  worst  evil  of  the  course  of  study  in 
reading  is  the  required  textbooks  which  are  used.  The  children  are  con- 
demand  to  Van  Ambaugh's  primer  for  the  first  three  months,  and  to  the 
Wooster  series  of  readers  for  the  next  three  years.  These  books  are 
demanded  by  the  state  law,  and  tho\*gh  they  are  not  worse  than  many 
others,  they  are  of  the  usual  scrappy,  unrelated,  uninspiring  kind,  the 
sole  use  of  which  is  to  give  the  children  the  conventional  vocabulary  of 
the  first  years  in  school.  The  impositions  of  such  poor  and  meager 
reading  material  should  not  be  tolerated.  The  teachers  should  convince 
the  parents  that  this  uneducative  matter  falls  far  below  the  ideal,  and 
both  parents  and  teachers  should  put  forth  a  united  effort  to  have  the 
school-book  law  of  Kansas  repealed.  The  new  law  should  be  flexible 
enough  to  allow,  in  a  community  the  size  of  Leavenworth,  a  committee 
of  carefully  chosen,  experienced  primary  teachers  to  select  the  reading 
books  for  the  primary  grades.  This  plan  should  include  the  supple- 
mentary books  as  well  as  the  readers.  Their  choice  should,  of  course,  be 
approved  by  the  superintendent  of  schools.  If  a  uniform  course  is  neces- 
sary throughout  the  state,  a  joint  committee  of  primary  teachers  and 
superintendents  should  pass  upon  the  series  of  books. 

In  addition  to  given  textbooks,  it  is  usual  to  plan  for  four  or  five  sets 
of  readers  for  supplementary  reading;  but  although  it  has  been  demon- 
strated beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt  that  children  who  have  opportunity 
for  a  wider  range  of  reading  learn  to  -read  more  quickly  and  that  they 
read  more  intelligently  than  those  confined  to  one  reader,  Leavenworth 
has  not  yet  given  its  children  this  advantage,  presumably  because  of  the 
restrictions  made  by  the  state  law.  Therefore,  the  Board  of  Education 
of  Leavenworth  is  urged  to  consider  this  plan,  and  also  the  reading 
leaflet  plan,  which  has  been  used  with  excellent  results  in  the  Francis  W. 
Parker  School  of  Chicago,  in  the  Ethical  Culture  and  Horace  Mann 
schools  of  New  York,  in  the  De  Kalb  Normal  Practice  School,  and  in 
many  other  places  throughout  the  country.  This  plan  was  started  in 
the  Cook  County  Normal  School  under  Colonel  Parker,  and  consists  of 
printed  reading  leaflets  for  use  in  the  primary  grades;  these  to  be  used 
largely  in  place  of  supplementary  reading  books.  In  order  to  do  this,  a 
good  but  not  elaborate  printing  outfit  should  be  purchased  by  the  Board 
of  Education,  and  some  teacher  who  has  had  experience  in  printing 
should  be  employed  to  give  certain  hours  each  day  to  the  work.  Printed 
supplementary  reading  leaflets  and  dictionary  words  can  then  be  freely 
used  by  the  children  in  the  primary  grades.  These  are  especially  useful 
in  the  first  two  grades,  where  good  reading  material  is  most  scarce.  (A 
school  paper  or  magazine,  managed  entirely  by  the  upper-grade  pupils, 


70  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

i 

is  also  an  educative  possibility  connected  with  the  printing  press.) 
These  leaflets  should  be  set  up  in  large-sized  type  and  printed  by  the 
pupils  of  the  seventh  and  eighth  grades  in  the  public  schools  under  the 
direction  of  the  teacher-printer. 

Each  school  in  Leavenworth  is  adjacent  to  some  natural  and  educative 
type  of  landscape,  or  to  some  industrial  or  manufacturing  plant  that  is 
worthy  of  study.  The  Franklin  School  is  situated  in  a  beautiful  grove  of 
trees,  is  accessible  to  a  most  interesting  ravine,  and  Pilot  Knob  is  almost 
in  its  front  yard.  There  is  also  a  large  bridge  works  in  the  vicinity. 
The  Morris  School  is  near  the  city  waterworks  and  the  river,  and  the 
Sumner  School  has  for  its  neighbor  the  excellent  Parker  Amusement 
Company.  What  better  work  in  reading,  writing  and  spelling  could  the 
children  have  than  composing  material  for  leaflets,  expressing  their  own 
observations,  impressions  and  bits  of  acquired  knowledge  concerning  the 
natural  phenomena  and  industrial  activities  which  exist  in  Leavenworth, 
and  which  consciously  or  unconsciously  influence  their  lives?  Through 
the  exchange  of  these  leaflets  between  the  schools  the  children  could  be 
bound  together  by  a  common  knowledge  and  interest  in  their  civic  and 
natural  environment.  For  instance,  they  would  learn  what  flowers  come 
first  in  the  north  ravine,  how  many  kinds  there  are,  and  how  they  differ 
from  those  which  grow  on  the  slopes  of  Pilot  Knob;  or  whether  the 
ravines  in  the  north  and  south  parts  of  town  have  been  formed  in  the 
same  way,  and  where  the  raw  materials  come  from  which  are  used  in  the 
bridge  works.  This  live  form  of  reading  and  composition  appeals  to  every 
child,  as  does  the  writing  of  a  book  giving  the  early  local  history ;  in  fact, 
the  plan  is  excellent  from  every  point  of  view.  In  this  piece  of  com- 
munity service  the  older  pupils  get  training  in  the  correct  use  of  English, 
in  the  printing  craft  and  in  practical  citizenship,  and  the  younger 
children  gain  economically,  under  the  stimulus  of  interest,  not  only  the 
same  formal  results  in  vocabulary  (which  usually  must  be  secured  by 
much  drill  in  stupid  unrelated  lessons),  but  also  the  richness  of  ex- 
perience which  comes  to  children  from  the  habit  of  daily  expressing  their 
own  ideas  and  emotions  in  the  best  possible  form  and  under  the  super- 
vision of  a  wise  and  interested  director.  Experience  has  proved  that  the 
vocabulary  which  the  children  master  in  this  kind  of  work  does  not  differ 
greatly  in  the  number  or  kind  of  words  from  that  gained  through  the 
ordinary  drill  process  with  the  textbook  for  a  basis,  but  the  educational 
content  of  the  work  is  vastly  superior  and  well  worth  the  effort  involved. 

This  plan  is  as  expensive  as  that  of  supplying  supplementary  readers, 
but  since  scarcely  any  first  reading  books  appeal  to  a  child's  interest  or 
intelligence  except  through  pictures  (the  Free  and  Treadwell  Primer  is 
a  brilliant  exception),  and  since  Leavenworth  has  not  yet  spent  money 
upon  such  books,  the  writer  recommends  that  this  leaflet  plan  be  given  a 
trial,  believing  that  the  plan  will  tend  to  place  the  schools  of  Leaven- 
worth in  the  front  rank  with  other  schools  that  are  struggling  to  get  the 
best  things  for  children. 

Some  teachers  in  Leavenworth  are  already  attempting  to  do  this  type 
of  work  under  great  handicap,  using  large  rubber  type  for  printing,  but 
this  takes  too  much  time  for  frequent  use,  so  that  it  can  never  be  an 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.       71 

effective  or  flexible  medium  of  expression,  and  the  large  charts  which 
result  are  not  easy  to  exchange  among  the  schools.  Under  the  leaflet 
plan,  news  can  be  exchanged  between  the  schools,  games  explained,  and 
special  school  celebrations  described;  the  form  and  vocabulary  used 
in  the  leaflets  being  limited  both  by  the  skill  of  the  children  composing 
them  and  by  the  ability  of  corresponding  classes  of  children  in  other 
schools  who  will  read  them. 

From  a  formal  point  of  view,  the  reading  in  the  Leavenworth  schools  is 
good,  but  there  is  a  deplorable  waste  of  time  on  account  of  the  poor 
quality  of  the  reading  material  used.  The  intelligence  of  the  children 
requires  more  exercise  upon  material  which  demands  keen  observation, 
initiative,  good  taste,  good  judgment,  and  a  genuine  effort  in  self-ex- 
pression. 

WRITING. 

Writing  is  the  second  "major"  course  in  the  Leavenworth  schools.  Of 
the  penmanship  there  is  little  to  say  beyond  the  fact  that  the  results 
are  good.  This  would  be  expected  from  the  habit  of  daily  drill. 

Writing  as  means  of  expression  seems  to  receive  little  attention  in  the 
primary  grades  and  is  not  mentioned  in  the  course  of  study.  Almost  no 
original  expression  in  composition  was  seen  in  the  first  grade,  and  very 
little  in  the  second  or  third  except  isolated  sentences  in  connection  with 
the  reading  lessons,  which  were  written  upon  the  blackboards  by  the 
teachers.  The  writer  requested  the  teachers  of  the  second  and  third 
grades  in  all  the  schools  to  have  the  children  hand  in  written  sentences 
in  response  to  the  question,  "What  do  the  children  in  Leavenworth  like 
to  do  to  have  fun?"  The  period  to  be  given  to  this  work  was  not  to  ex- 
ceed thirty  minutes.  From  the  second  grade  180  papers  were  received. 
The  work  came  from  seven  schools — from  the  Third  Avenue,  Franklin, 
Maplewood,  Sumner,  Morris,  Oak  Street  and  Jefferson  schools.  The 
largest  class  represented  had  twenty-nine  pupils  and  the  smallest  fifteen. 
The  uniform  type  of  answer  was  remarkable.  The  following  examples 
taken  at  random  from  three  schools  are  thoroughly  typical  of  all  the 
papers  from  the  second  grade. 

A  typical  paper  from  the  Third  Avenue  School  set: 

I  like  to  play  hide-and-seek. 
I  like  to  play  shadow  tag. 
I  like  to  play  bean  bag. 

A  typical  paper  from  the  Morris  School  set: 

I  like  to  write. 
I  like  to  sing. 
I  like  to  eat. 

A  typical  paper  from  the  Jefferson  School  set : 

I  like  to  play  tag. 

I  like  to  play  with  my  doll. 

I  like  to  play  house. 

There  were  166  papers  which  consisted  of  just  three  sentences  of  this 
nature,  and  in  eight  others  there  were  more  sentences,  but  of  the  same 
kind.  In  all  of  the  papers  the  penmanship  and  spelling  were  good,  and  al- 
most all  of  the  sentences  began  with  capitals  and  ended  with  periods.  In 


72  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL.  i 

the  six  papers  showing  more  originality  in  the  children's  expression  the 
spelling  was  good,  but  not  so  perfect  as  in  the  other  papers.  Four  of 
the  best  papers  were  from  one  room  in  the  Jefferson  School.  Three  of 
these  are  as  follows: 

HOW  I   LIKE   TO   HAVE   FUN. 

This  summer  we  are  going  into  the  woods. 

We  will  take  our  lunch  with  us. 

We  will  wade  out  into  the  water  and  go  boat  riding. 

We  would  pick  lots  of  flowers. 

HOW   I   LIKE   TO    HAVE   FUN. 

I  like  to  have  some  little  girl  to  come  and  play  with  me. 

Some  day  I  will  have  a  party  out  in  the  grass. 

I  will  be  glad  when  papa  comes  home  with  a  bag  of  candy. 

HOW  I   LIKE   TO    HAVE   FUN. 

I  like  to  have  fun  playing  baseball. 

I  like  to  have  a  store  of  my  own. 

I  would  like  to  have  fun  guiding  an  auto. 

I  would  like  to  have  fun  playing  soldier  and  Indian. 

The  most  original  paper  handed  in  was  from  the  second  grade,  as 
follows  (it  came  from  the  Third  Avenue  School)  : 

I  like  to  play  cowboy  best  of  all  the  games  in  the  world. 

I  get  on  my  rocking  horse  and  I  gallop  away  to  get  cows. 

I  play  it  in  winter  and  summer  both. 

It  is  lots  of  fun. 

I  play  it  with  Lewis. 

From  the  third  grade  141  papers  were  received  from  the  seven,  schools. 
With  the  exception  of  one  school,  of  29  children,  in  which  nearly  all  the 
papers  differed  in  form  and  were  exceedingly  good,  there  was  no  marked 
improvement  over  the  papers  of  the  second  grade  in  penmanship,  spell- 
ing, composition,  or  content.  Of  these  papers  112  were  almost  identical 
with  those  of  the  second  grade;  104  of  these  had  each  but  three  sen- 
tences, of  which  the  following  two  from  the  Maplewood  School  are  good 
types : 

I  like  to  play  baseball. 
I  like  to  play  marbles. 
I  like  to  spin  tops. 

I  like  to  go  to  school. 
I  like  to  play  with  dolls. 
I  like  to  read  story  books. 

Eight  other  papers  were  very  similar  to  these,  but  had  more  sentences. 
From  the  Oak  Street  School,  where  the  teacher  seemed  to  have  made  a 
different  demand  upon  the  children,  and  where  I  am  sure  the  children 
must  have  the  habit  of  using  greater  freedom  in  written  expression,  I 
have  selected  four  papers.  The  spelling  in  this  room  was  not  quite  so 
good  in  all  cases,  but  as  several  of  the  children  were  evidently  foreign- 
ers, that  could  be,  in  a  measure,  naturally  accounted  for,  and  the  gain 
seems  to  the  writer  greatly  to  overbalance  the  loss.  From  Oak  Street 
School : 

FIRST  PAPER: 

I  have  fun  playing  tag  with  my  dog. 

I  play  that  the  swing  is  base,   and  I  play  that  my  dog  is  it. 

I  have  fun  playing  school  with  my  dolls. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        73 

I  play  that   I   am  teacher   and  whip  ray  dolls  sometimes  when   they  are  bad   in 

school. 
I  have  fun  playing   Santa  Claus.      I  play  that  I  am  Santa  Glaus  and  I  drop  a 

few  things  behind  me. 

SECOND   PAPER    (from   a   little   Italian  boy  who   has  been   in   this   country  only  two 
years)  : 

I  have  fun  to  the  river,  and  I  saw  there  three  little  frogs. 

And  they  jump  up  and  down,  and  when  I  was  going  to  catch  it  he  skip  away. 

And  nother  time  I  went  to  the  "krik"  and  I  saw  a  little  babe  snack,  and  he  just 

sing  just  like  bird. 
THIRD  PAPER: 

I  have  fun  climbing  hay  stacks  when  I  go  to  my  grandmother's  in  the  winter. 
When  my  cousin  and  I  climb  the  haystack  we  take  a  ladder,  and  then  slide  down 

the  other  side,  and  cover  each  up  in  the  hay  all  but  their  head,  and  have  fun 

that  way.  fc 

Several  other  children  of  the  twenty-nine  mentioned  explained  games 
in  full,  told  how  they  acted  out  stories,  and  described  many  interesting 
and  amusing  incidents.  They  showed  spontaneity  and  joy  in  expression 
which  was  worthy  of  the  consideration  of  all  the  other  primary  teachers. 

In  summing  up,  it  is  just  to  say  that  the  results  from  this  one  test 
would  indicate  that  the  emphasis  in  writing  has  been  placed  too  largely 
upon  the  forms  of  expression  in  the  schools,  and  that  while  the  penman- 
ship and  spelling  are  good,  the  conclusion  is  that  these  good  formal 
habits  should  be  utilized  much  more  generally  in  the  expression  of 
thought.  Of  course  the  fault  in  this  case  may  have  been  partly  because 
of  the  way  the  writer's  question  was  given,  or  the  way  the  teachers 
limited  the  children  in  their  answers  to  the  question,  but  in  any  case 
there  is  not  enough  difference  between  the  second-  and  third-grade 
papers  in  normal  development  to  be  satisfactory.  The  papers  in  one 
school  showed  that  children  in  the  third  grade  are  capable  of  greater 
freedom  in  expression,  and  the  uniformity  in  all  the  other  papers  cer- 
tainly gives  the  impression  that  mere  formal  results  have  been  over- 
emphasized in  the  schools. 

SPELLING. 

Spelling  is  the  third  "major"  subject  of  study  in  the  primary  schools. 
The  writer  asked  for  written  papers  showing  the  results  of  one  day's 
regular  spelling  lessons  in  the  second  and  third  grades.  The  record 
from  these  grades  in  the  seven  schools  is  tabulated  below. 

Second-Grade  Record. 

SAMPLE   LIST  OF   25  WORDS. 

glove  among  teacher  over  fourteen 

match  chair  basket  been  which 

papa  busy  these  slow  place 

fence  hole  sugar  mama  button 

bright  pencil  throw  happy  color 

SAMPLE   LIST  OF   10  WORDS. 

quick  read  shelf  spoon  teacher 

window  write  play  turn 

All  the  other  lists  were  similar  to  these,  consisting  of  words  from  the 
regular  readers  which  were  already  in  the  children's  speaking  vocabulary. 


74 


KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


TABLE  XIX. 
Second-grade  Spelling. 


, 

Papers 

Number 

Number 

Papers- 

Papers 
with 

Papers 
with 

Papers 
with 

Papers 
with 

with 
more 

NAME  OP  SCHOOL. 

of 

pupils 

of 
words 

num- 
ber 

one 
word 

two 

words 

three 
words 

four 
words 

than 
four 

in  grade. 

in  list. 

correct. 

mis- 

mis- 

mis- 

mis- 

words 

spelled. 

spelled. 

spelled. 

spelled. 

mis- 

spelled. 

Third    Avenue  

27 

20 

19 

6 

1 

1-6 

Franklin 

18 

10 

12 

5 

1-7 

Maplewood 

18 

6 

13 

3 

l 

1 

12 

12 

7 

2 

1 

2 

1-6 

25 

10 

19 

5 

1 

Oak    Street  

27 

5 

20 

4 

1 

2 



Jefferson 

29 

10 

20 

2 

6 

1 

Third  Avenue,  Second  Group  

13 

25 

8 

1 

2 

2 



Third-grade  Record. 

SAMPLE  LIST  OF  25  WORDS. 


chowder 
oyster 
February 
preparation 
pickle 

banana              grade 
sneeze               improvement 
improve             syrup 
biscuit      .         veal 
soup                   buffaloes 

dismiss 
basket 
once 
chimneys 
dismissal 

mutton 
always 
thieves 
prepare 

SAMPLE  LIST  OF  10 

WORDS. 

easy 
touch 

always               smooth 
sword                 shelf 

against 
bridge 

toward 
guess 

TABLE  XX. 
Third-grade  Spelling. 


Papers 

Number 

Number 

Papers  — 

Papers 
with 

Papers 
with 

Papers 
with 

Papers 
with 

with 
more 

NAME  OP  SCHOOL. 

of 
pupils 

of 

words 

num- 
ber 

one 
word 

two 

words 

three 
words 

four 

words 

than 
four 

in  grade. 

in  list. 

correct. 

mis- 

mis- 

Tnis- 

mis- 

words 

spelled. 

spelled. 

spelled. 

spelled. 

mis- 

spelled. 

Third  Avenue 

22 

25 

g 

6 

2 

2 

1 

(       1-5 
\       1-8 

(     1-14 

Franklin  

27 

10 

14 

1 

5 

4 

3 

Maplewood  

21 

25 

11 

5 

2 

3-5 

Sumner 

18 

12 

12 

2 

2 

1 

1-5 

Morris  

22 

10 

15 

4 

1 

1 

1-6 

Oak  Street  

28 

6 

20 

6 

2 

Jefferson  

20 

10 

6 

6 

6 

1 

1-8 

SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.       75 

These  data  are  given  for  whatever  value  they  may  have.  One  may 
not  base  conclusions  concerning  the  spelling  in  the  Leavenworth  schools 
upon  this  one  test;  the  lists  of  words  differed  greatly  in  number  (vary- 
ing from  25  to  5  words  daily)  and  the  words  were  different  in  each  list. 
The  classes  having  20  and  25  new 'words  seem  to  compare  favorably  with 
the  classes  having  only  5  or  6.  These  data,  therefore,  are  inserted 
chiefly  because  they  came  in  response  to  the  request  for  the  written 
results  of  one  day's  regular  spelling  lesson  in  the  second  and  third  grades, 
and  because  they  may  be  suggestive  to  the  teachers  in  Leavenworth  to 
question  the  significance  of  such  varying  demands  and  results  in  a  school 
system  of  the  size  of  Leavenworth. 

NUMBER  WORK. 

Number  work  is  the  fourth  "major"  subject. 

The  following  is  a  description  of  a  number  lesson  which  the  writer 
observed  in  a  first  grade  in  which  the  children  were  exceedingly  alert 
and  accurate  and  the  teacher  full  of  interesting  devices.  The  lesson 
was  described  by  the  teacher  herself  upon  the  observation  blank  pro- 
vided by  the  Survey  Staff,  and  is  inserted  below  in  the  teacher's  own 
words,  but  the  description  fails  to  give  an  idea  of  the  spirit  which  ani- 
mated the  entire  class. 

Number  Lesson — First-grade  Class. 

DEVELOPMENT  OF  8  AND  COMBINATIONS. 

First,  review  work,  previously  given  on  7's.  Children  have  7  objects.  Child  puts 
1  more  with  them  and  sees  8. 

Use  a  number  of  different  objects,  to  show  the  same  combination,  that  7  and  1  are  8. 

Have  children  give  little  number  stories  about  these  objects,  after  which  teacher  gives 
the  figure  8. 

Children  trace  it  in  the  air  as  teacher  makes  it  on  board.  Then  class  makes  it  on 
board  and  slates. 

Each  child  has  8  objects.     Begins  with  1 ;  sees  that  7  more  complete  the  8. 

Then  we  gain  the  following:    7  +  1   =  8. 

Then  look  at  objects  again;  take  away  7,  the  1  remains.     Take  away  1,  7  remain. 

Begin  with  3  objects,  and  see  that  5  more  make  8.  Take  away  5  and  3  remain;  take 
away  3  and  5  are  left.  3  +  5  =  8;  8  —  3  =  5;  5  +  3  =  8;  8  —  5  =  3. 

I  play  store  with  them,  and  they  buy.  (I  have  several  objects  to  sell.)  They  have 
8  cents  to  begin  with.  They  must  tell  how  much  will  be  left  after  buying  from  me. 

I  also  use  children  to  illustrate  the  combinations  of  8  and  the  taking  away  of  different 
numbers. 

I  also  use  a  string  of  8  apples. 

It  was  effective,  for  the  faces  were  alive  with  interest  and  enthusiasm,  and  they  knew 
the  work  next  day  and  could  give  me  the  combinations  belonging  to  the  8  family.  I  use 
objects  and  pictures  all  the  time. 

Judging  from  the  work  which  I  observed,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the 
number  work  outlined  for  the  primary  grades  is  most  thoroughly  and 
excellently  done.  The  children  work  accurately  and  rapidly  and  enjoy  the 
activity  as  thoroughly  as  they  would  an  interesting  game.  The  question 
is  whether  they  are  not  too  well  drilled  for  the  present  use  they  can 
make  of  the  number  element  in  their  actual  living;  whether  the  time 
given  for  so  much  drill  for  rapidity  in  addition  and  subtraction  could  not 
be  better  spent  at  this  stage  of  development  upon  nature  study  and  litera- 
ture, allowing  the  children  to  see  and  to  do  things  requiring  the  use  of 


76  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

several  senses.  If  more  of  the  work  in  measuring  with  various  standard 
units  of  measurement,  under  the  stimulus  of  some  motive  or  purpose 
which  the  children  could  appreciate  and  from  which  they  would  gain 
experience  in  many  directions,  could  be  placed  in  the  first  grade,  and 
more  of  the  rapid  abstract  work  plaCed  in  the  third,  it  would  seem  a 
better  arrangement  and  more  adapted  to  the  children's  present  needs. 
The  writer  believes  that  the  children  in  the  primary  grades  should  have 
plenty  of  work  in  applied  number,  as  it  is  needed  in  games,  in  nature 
study,  in  manual  training  and  in  science  experiments,  and  that  the  units 
of  measure  thus  used  should  be  well  fixed  through  use,  but  that  most  of 
the  drill .  for  rapid  and  accurate  calculation  should  come  beyond  the 
second  grade.  This  is  not  because  the  work  can  not  be  done  in  the  two 
earlier  grades  (for  as  a  matter  of  fact  it  is  being  well  done  in  at  least 
four  schools  which  were  observed),  but  because  other  more  useful  and 
necessary  things  are  crowded  out  of  this  period  of  the  child's  life  by  so 
much  number  drill;  and  also  because,  when  so  much  is  done  in  the  first 
and  second  grades,  there  is  but  little  left  to  do  in  new  mathematical 
processes  and  in  the  fundamental  operations  between  the  third  and  fifth 
grades;  and  still  further,  because  much  of  the  time  so  used  is  wasted, 
since  in  order  to  keep  fresh  what  they  learn  until  they  have  use  for  it 
the  drill  must  be  kept  up,  going  over  and  over  again  the  same  facts  and 
combinations  until,  from  very  weariness  and  lack  of  interest,  the 
work  is  poorly  done.  Therefore,  the  Survey  Staff  urge  that  the  drill 
upon  the  number  process  and  work  for  rapid  calculation  be  placed  some- 
what later  in  the  course,  when  the  child  can  feel  the  need  or  purpose  for 
such  work  as  he  does  in  the  third,  fourth  and  fifth  grades.  This  advice 
may  have  more  weight,  since  it  has  been  found  in  Leavenworth,  as  in 
other  places*  that  pupils  in  the  upper  grades  have  not  been  made  more 
efficient  or  accurate  in  mathematics  from  any  point  of  view  by  the  great 
emphasis  placed  upon  the  subject  in  the  early  grades. 

COMMENTS  UPON   THE  TELLING  OF   STORIES,   WHICH   IS  A   "MINOR"   SUBJECT 
OF  STUDYING  IN  THE  LEAVENWORTH  PRIMARY  GRADES. 

In  three  schools  in  which  story-telling  was  observed,  the  writer  has 
only  commendation,  for  both  the  choice  of  stories  used  and  the  manner 
of  telling  them  by  the  teachers.  In  another  school,  however,  the  children 
had  apparently  memorized  the  exact  words  of  the  stories  they  were  telling, 
and  therefore  the  work  was  lacking  in  spontaneity,  and  at  least  one  of 
the  chief  values  in  story-telling  was  lost,  in  that  the  children  were  not 
imaging  and  expressing  their  own  conceptions  while  telling  the  tales. 

COMMENTS  UPON  THE  DRAMATIZATION  OF  STORIES,  SCHEDULED  AS  A  "MINOR" 
IN  THE  LEAVENWORTH  PRIMARY  GRADES. 

The  writer  saw  the  children  acting  out  stories  in  three  schools.  In 
one  it  was  merely  the  perfunctory  going  over  of  set  movements,  which 
had  been  repeated  so  many  times  that  no  thought  was  aroused.  This  was 
in  a  second  grade,  where  the  teacher  said  to  the  writer,  "Perhaps  you 
would  like  to  see  the  children  dramatize  something,"  and  out  of  a  clear 
blue  sky  she  called  upon  the  children  to  act  out  "Jack  and  Jill."  The 
children  were  willing,  and  it  is  true  that  "Jack  fell  down,"  but  he  kept 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        77 

his  "crown"  carefully  uplifted  in  the  air  so  that  it  could  not  possibly  have 
been  "broken."  He  got  up  smiling,  put  back  the  pail,  and  ran  back  with 
Jill  to  his  seat.  No  comment  was  made  or  expected.  He  probably  had 
done  the  same  thing  in  the  same  way  a  great  many  times. 

In  another  room  (third  grade)  the  children  played  being  "The  little 
kind  girl"  and  "The  little  cross  girl."  It  was  done  in  a  self-conscious  and 
stilted  way,  using  the  books  for  guidance  iji  giving  the  exact  words  of  the 
story,  though  the  ideas  could  have  been  assimilated  in  one  reading  of  the 
text.  The  choice  of  material  here  was  not  good,  for  though  the  story  was 
dramatic  in  form,  the  literature  was  not  of  sufficient  value  to  be  worthy  of 
the  children's  time,  nor  did  the  character  of  the  self-righteous  little  good 
girl  warrant  the  deep  impression  which  acting  gives. 

On  the  other  hand,  in  the  other  two  schools  there  were  glimpses  of 
dramatic  action  which  indicated  real  insight  into  and  appreciation  of  the 
function  of  dramatic  expression  in  education  and  a  most  careful  dis- 
crimination in  the  choice  of  material.  In  the  third  grade  of  the  Oak 
Street  School  the  children  acted  out  their  own  na'ive  interpretation  of  ' 
"Philemon  and  Baucis,"  and  in  the  first  grade  of  the  Morris  School  the 
children  delighted  in  the  story  of  "^Eolus  and  the  Winds,"  and  their  ex- 
pression was  charming,  spontaneous  and  original. 

One  found  teachers  in  Leavenworth  well  aware  of  the  dangers  involved 
in  giving  school  plays  and  dramatic  presentations:  such  as,  the  over- 
stimulation  of  children;  the  fostering  of  a  tendency  towards  artificiality; 
the  cultivation  of  insincerity;  and,  by  overelaboration,  the  systematic 
blighting  of  the  imagination,  which  may  come  to  children  if  dramatiza- 
tion is  thoughtlessly  used.  And  these  teachers  also  recognize  the  great 
value  of  dramatic  presentation  in  education  when  it  is  rightly  under- 
Stood  and  directed. 

Among  the  many  possible  values  of  the  school  play,  a  few  might  be 
named:  such  as,  the  establishing  of  moral  ideals;  the  cultivation  of  in- 
itiative; the  demand  for  the  subordination  of  self  to  the  group;  the  over- 
coming of  self -consciousness ;  the  training  in  good  speech;  the  giving 
of  bodily  control  and  freedom  in  expression;  and  the  appreciation  of 
literary  beauty.  There  is  at  least  one  teacher  in  the  Leavenworth 
primary  grades  who  is  able  to  help  the  other  teachers  to  gain  the  right 
point  of  view  in  dramatization,  and  the  writer  suggests  that  in  the 
weekly  teachers'  meetings  those  in  the  system  who  are  especially  gifted 
or  well  trained  in  any  one  subject  be  asked  to  help  those  who  are  less 
able  or  less  experienced,  but  who  are  attempting  to  do  the  same  kind 
of  work. 

PHYSICAL  TRAINING,    SCHEDULED  AS   "SUPERVISED   WORK"   IN   THE   COURSE 

OF    STUDY. 

The  physical  training  in  the  Leavenworth  schools  ranges  in  quality 
from  the  perfunctory  carrying  out  of  directions  given  by  the  supervisor 
to  the  freer  interpretation  of  these  directions  in  a  few  schools  by  the 
teachers  who  instinctively  understand  the  needs  of  children  and  who  work 
from  principle  in  their  attempts  to  get  the  best  results  from  the  physical 
exercise.  The  same  conscientiousness  was  observed  here  as  in  the  other 
work.  Each  lesson  for  the  entire  year  is  carefully  outlined  by  the  super- 


78  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

visor  and  given  to  the  class  teacher  in  typewritten  form,  and  she  is  ex- 
pected to  carry  out  these  directions  at  least  in  spirit.  Each  lesson  in- 
cludes drill  in  correct  standing  position;  facing;  marching;  arm,  leg  and 
trunk  exercises;  ending  in  each  case  with  a  game.  The  lesson  is  never 
twice  alike,  and  plans  for  progression  are  provided  for  within  the  grade 
as  well  as  from  a  lower  to  a  higher  grade. 

If  all  the  teachers  were  required  to  hold  rigidly  to  these  outlines  the 
work  might  easily  become  perfunctory  and  mechanical,  but  this  excuse 
for  poor  work  does  not  exist.  However,  there  seems  to  be  little  or  no  de- 
mand from  the  physical-training  department  for  fresh-air  activities,  or 
for  corrective  gymnastics  adapted  to  the  needs  of  particular  children.  It 
is  to  be  hoped  that  in  the  near  future  gymnasiums  and  swimming  pools 
will  be  made  accessible,  so  that  all  the  children  may  use  them,  and  it  is 
urged  that  every  school  be  provided  with  a  well-equipped  playground. 
At  present  the  schools  with  the  poorest  provision  of  space  outdoors  seem 
to  make  the  very  best  use  of  what  they  have,  showing  that  they  deserve 
better  conditions.  It  seems  to  the  writer  that  the  great  benefits  of  out- 
door play,  under  right  conditions  and  supervision,  have  not  yet  been 
recognized  adequately  in  the  community.  It  is  well  known  that  the  play- 
ground, rightly  used,  is  quite  as  strong  ethically  as  physically  in  making 
for  good  citizenship. 

CONSTRUCTION    WORK   OR   ELEMENTARY   MANUAL   TRAINING. 

In  order  to  make  clear  what  the  writer  considers  to  be  a  fundamental 
principle,  two  observations  are  cited.  The  writer  asked  to  see  the 
manual-training  work  in  one  of  the  schools.  It  was  a  week  in  which  it 
had  been  planned  to  make  kites — a  very  fitting  plaything  for  the  season- 
but  the  wood  had  not  come,  and  the  teacher,  with  mistaken  zeal,  called 
upon  the  other  teachers  and  sat  up  all  night  preparing  small  cardboard 
frames,  with  dots  about  an  inch  and  a  half  apart  (which  any  second- 
grade  child  could  easily  have  made)  over  which  thirty-five  children  in 
the  third  grade  were  to  make  string  bags.  In  the  construction  hour  the 
children's  work  consisted  in  tying  knots  over  each  dot.  There  was  little 
opportunity  for  serious  effort  on  the  part  of  an  intelligent  child  of  that 
age,  since  a  mistake  was  scarcely  possible,  and  the  writer  would  have 
much  preferred  seeing  this  class  make  original  working  drawings  for 
their  kites,  working  from  the  teacher's  dictation;  or  it  would  have  been 
more  valuable  if  the  teacher  had  discussed  with  the  children  the  simplest 
scientific  principles  involved  in  kite  making.  She  could  have  given  them 
information  which  they  might  have  tested  out  by  their  experiments  in 
the  flying  of  kites;  or  she  might  have  allowed  them  to  draw  original 
plans  to  a  scale,  and  they  could  have  made  the  kites  at  home  from  news- 
papers and  waste  pieces  of  wood. 

On  the  same  day,  in  a  first-grade  room  of  thirty  children,  each  child 
was  given  strips  and  paste  and  provided  with  cardboard,  all  beautifully 
cut  out  by  the  teacher,  to  be  used  in  making  a  play  wren  house.  The 
children  then  followed  dictation,  folding  the  house  on  the  carefully  drawn 
lines,  cutting  out  the  circular  door,  pasting  the  ends  of  the  house  together, 
and  putting  on  the  roof.  It  took  about  twenty  minutes  of  each  child's 
time  to  finish  thirty  useless  little  bird  houses,  which  looked  very  well,  but 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.       79 

the  teacher  must  have  spent  several  hours  in  preparing  the  work.  She 
also  had  done  the  thinking  and  planning.  Again,  in  the  writer's  opinion, 
it  would  have  been  more  educative  work  had  several  models  of  wren 
houses  been  placed  before  the  children,  if  they  had  been  given  pencil  and 
paste,  and  if  each  child  had  been  asked  to  work  out  his  own  model  of  a 
wren  house.  The  results  would  have  been  exceedingly  crude,  but  the  next 
day  the  teacher  could  have  written  directions  on  the  blackboard  which 
the  children  could  have  followed  and  which  would  have  resulted  in  better 
houses.  It  is  probable  that  even  then  there  might  not  have  been  more 
than  three  or  four  really  good  models,  but  every  child  should  have  been 
exercising  skill  and  judgment  to  the  limit  of  his  ability,  which  was  not 
the  case  when  each  child  contentedly  and  successfully  followed  the  direc- 
tions which  were  so  simple  that  only  a  small  degree  of  mechanical  dex- 
terity was  necessary. 

In  both  of  these  cases  the  teacher  directing  the  work  showed  energy 
and  good  teaching  ability,  and  accomplished  the  results  which  she  planned 
for  in  excellent  spirit,  but  since  a  burden  of  useless  work  rested  upon  the 
teachers,  and  since  the  Survey  indicates  that  this  fault  in  the  manual- 
training  work  extends  beyond  the  primary  grades  (and  particularly  since 
this  seems  to  be  a  very  common  mistake  in  the  handwork  in  schools  all 
over  the  country),  it  seems  wise  to  emphasize  the  futility  of  such  exer- 
cises in  a  child's  education.  It  will  be  perfectly  obvious,  upon  reflection, 
to  these  and  other  good  teachers  doing  this  kind  of  work,  that  the  educa- 
tional value  will  be  much  greater  to  the  children  when  the  energy  and 
industry  which  now  goes  into  getting  such  quantities  of  quickly  achieved 
but  useless  results  is  turned  into  getting  self-actuated  effort  and  activity 
into  the  children's  work,  and  when  the  objects  which  are  made  are  useful, 
however  crude  they  may  be. 

The  Survey  Staff  believe  in  urging  that  attention  be  given  to  this 
criticism;  that  it  is  in  line  with  recognized  expert  opinion  concerning 
manual-training  work.  It  is  in  harmony  with  the  ideas  of  Mr.  Edward 
Worst,  of  the  Chicago  public  school  system,  and  Mr.  Arthur  W.  Richards, 
of  the  Ethical  Culture  School  in  New  York  City,  and  with  those  of  many 
other  well-known  directors  of  work  in  different  parts  of  the  country.  The 
trend  of  education  is  placing  the  demand  for  activity  and  effort  upon  the 
child,  and  holding  the  teacher  responsible  for  providing  conditions  which 
shall  arouse  in  him  motives  and  purposes  that  develop  power  and  initia- 
tive. Social  motives  insure  prolonged,  sincere  and  cheerful  effort,  and 
result  in  satisfactory  achievement. 

COMMENTS  UPON  THE  APPLIED  ARTS  DRAWING  COURSE,  SCHEDULED  AS 
"SUPERVISED  WORK"  IN  THE  PRIMARY  GRADES. 

The  report  upon  the  applied  arts  drawing  course  appears  as  a  whole  in 
another  part  of  this  Survey,  but  the  writer  wishes  to  express  appreciation 
of  the  spirit  of  the  work  in  the  primary  grades.  If  at  present  the 
technique  is  somewhat  overemphasized,  and  the  time  given  to  freer  ex- 
pression in  connection  with  nature,  literature  and  handwork  is  thereby 
curtailed,  it  is  only  a  temporary  phase  of  the  work.  The  facts  that  the 
supervisor  of  this  department  and  the  teachers  doing  the  work  are  open- 
minded  and  enthusiastic,  desiring  to  be  students  of  children  as  well  as 


80  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

of  subject  matter,  and  the  fact  that  already  (though  the  work  is  only 
two  years  old)  some  of  the  dangers  of  unrelated,  isolated  drill  and  of 
using  a  set  series  of  books  as  a  guide  have  been  recognized,  make  one 
sure  that  this  department  will  more  and  more  use  painting  and  drawing 
for  their  true  purpose  in  the  expression  of  thought.  Drill  will  be  used 
in  helping  children  to  overcome  obstacles  in  technique  which  have  arisen 
in  their  own  work.  All  the  problems  that  the  child  needs  to  solve, 
involving  color  and  form,  will  arise  naturally  if  he  continually  paints 
and  draws  in  his  science,  history,  nature  study  and  literature,  illustrat- 
ing and  making  clear  his  imagery  in  the  subject  he  is  studying.  There 
should,  of  course,  be  sequence  in  the  work,  but  this  should  be  determined 
from  the  standpoint  of  the  child  and  not  from  that  of  the  subject  matter; 
and  however  good  the  textbook  on  art  may  be,  it  should  be  only  the 
assistant  to  the  teacher — the  source  of  reference  and  advice.  It  should 
follow,  not  lead,  and  since  this  principle  seems  to  have  been  grasped  by 
the  department,  growth  in  art  expression  and  appreciation  are  certain 
to  come  to  the  children  in  the  Leavenworth  schools. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        81 


CHAPTER  X. 

ARITHMETIC. 

Walter  S.  Monroe. 
THE  COURSE   OF   STUDY. 

SYSTEMATIC  instruction  in  arithmetic  extends  throughout  the  eight 
grades  of  the  elementary  school. 

In  the  fourth  grade  Smith's  Primary  Arithmetic  is  completed,  pages 
165-308.  By  the  end  of  this  year  the  pupil  is  expected:  (1)  to  have 
mastered  the  four  fundamental  operations  for  integers;  (2)  to  be  able 
to  use  the  four  fundamentals  in  easy  common  fractions  and  easy  decimals; 
(3)  to  apply  the  above,  as  fast  as  acquired,  to — 

Extension  in  one  direction :    inch,  foot,  yard,  decimeter  and  meter ; 
Extension  in  two  directions:    square  inch,  square  foot,  square  yard, 

square  decimeter  and  square  meter; 

Extension  in  three  directions:    cubic  inch,  cubic  decimeter; 
Weight:    grain,  ounce,  pound,  gram; 
Dry  capacity:    quart,  peck; 
Liquid  capacity:    pint,  quart,  gallon. 

In  grades  five  to  eight  the  course  of  study  is  based  upon  Smith's 
Topical  Advanced  Arithmetic.  The  text  is  supplemented  by  problems 
and  material  furnished  by  both  the  pupils  and  the  teacher. 

POINTS  OF  EXCELLENCE  IN  THE  TEACHING  OF  ARITHMETIC. 

Although  the  results  of  the  test  which  was  given  do  not  consistently 
indicate  it,  the  writer  believes  the  work  in  arithmetic  is  being  placed 
upon  a  better  basis.  Some  topics  of  arithmetic  are  now  being  taught 
so  that  the  pupils  understand  the  practical  situations  which  produce  the 
problems,  and  hence  better  understand  the  problems..  This  is  well  illus- 
trated by  the  description  of  the  first  lesson  on  trade  discount,  which  was 
given  by  a  teacher  in  response  to  the  "questionnaire  to  ascertain  the 
methods  of  teaching": 

"After  teaching  the  simple  cases  of  percentage,  based  on  multiplication 
and  division,  our  next  subject  was  trade  discount.  I  asked  the  pupils 
if  they  had  ever  noticed  advertised  sales  of  goods  in  the  newspapers. 
Of  course  all  had.  I  asked  them  to  tell  me  about  some  of  them.  Every 
one  could  tell  me  about  something  that  had  been  advertised  at  less  than 
the  marked  price;  some  told  of  articles  their  mother  had  bought  for 
them  at  sales,  even  telling  what  per  cent  off  they  got  the  goods  for. 
We  had  a  very  interesting  lesson  telling  why  and  when  merchants  sell 
goods  for  less  than  the  marked  price.  They  told  me  that  goods  were 
often  sold  at  less  than  the  marked  price  when  the  season  for  such  goods 
was  over;  that  some  goods  that  were  out  of  style  were  sold  for  less 
than  the  original  price;  that  sometimes  a  man  was  going  out  of  business, 
or  was  forced  to  sell  out,  etc.  We  got  into  such  an  interesting  talk  that 
it  was  hard  to  close  the  lesson.  I  closed  this  lesson  by  asking  all  to  cut 
from  a  paper  some  advertised  goods  at  discount.  The  next  day  we  had 
more  problems  than  we  had  time  to  solve.  I  sent  each  to  the  board 


82  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

to  figure  up  the  discount  on  his  goods  advertised,  and  to  find  the  price 
paid.  Each  had  his  own  separate  work  to  do  and  all  were  very  busy 
about  it." 

In  the  beginning  of  the  consideration  of  this  topic  the  attention  of  the 
pupils  was  centered  upon  conditions  in  actual  life  which  demand  trade 
discount.  As  a  result  the  pupils  approached  the  problems  with  an 
understanding  of  them  and  their  points  of  contact  with  the  world  of 
affairs.  To  these  pupils  the  problems  of  trade  discount  were  practical 
because  of  the  way  in  which  they  had  been  approached. 

On  the  other  hand,  in  the  following  description  of  teaching  liquid 
measure  no  reference  is  made  to  the  connection  of  the  subject  matter 
considered  with  activities  outside  of  school: 

"Liquid  measure  was  taught  by  beginning  with  the  pint  measure  and 
building  up  to  the  gallon.  First,  the  children  were  directed  to  fill  the 
pint  measure  with  water,  pouring  the  water  from  that  into  the  quart 
measure.  The  pint  measure  was  filled  and  again  poured  into  the  quart 
measure,  teaching  2  pints  =  1  quart.  We  then  proceeded  as  before 
using  the  quart  measure  to  fill  the  gallon  measure,  teaching  4  quarts  =  1 
gallon.  This  plan  was  continued  until  the  relations  between  the  several 
measures  were  found." 

So  far  as  this  description  shows,  there  was  no  effort  to  connect  this 
work  of  the  schoolroom  with  anything  which  goes  on  in  the  world  of 
affairs.  Unless  the  pupils  of  their  own  accord  realized  that  the  milkman 
measures  his  milk  in  pints  and  quarts,  and  the  groceryman  sells  vinegar 
by  the  pint,  quart  and  gallon,  and  that  the  groceryman  and  milkman 
often  must  know  how  many  of  one  measure  make  one  of  a  larger  measure, 
the  work  can  not  have  been  practical  for  the  pupils.  To  them  the  work 
with  the  actual  measures  was  abstract;  that  is,  abstracted — taken  away 
from  even  an  imagined  situation  which  would  call  for  a  knowledge  of  the 
table  of  liquid  measure. 

It- might  be  pointed  out  that  unless  the  pupil  does  understand  the 
practical  situation  back  of  the  problem  he  can  not  possibly  know  what 
arithmetical  operation  to  perform  upon  the  quantities  which  he  is  given. 
He  must  do  what  he  is  told  to  do  either  by  the  teacher  or  by  the  book. 
In  the  lesson  on  liquid  measure  the  teacher  told  the  pupils  what  to  do  at 
each  step,  and  this  was  necessary,  for  otherwise  the  pupils  could  not 
possibly  have  known  what  to  do.  The  "practical"  problems  in  a  text  do 
or  do  not  become  practical  to  the  pupils  according  as  the  pupils  do  or  do 
not  understand  the  practical  situation  which  occasions  the  particular 
"practical"  problem  and  connect  the  problem  with  that  situation. 

ORAL  ARITHMETIC. 

Some  very  spirited  oral  work  was  observed.  A  problem  was  given 
to  the  entire  class.  As  soon  as  a  pupil  had  solved  it  he  rose,  and  when 
most  of  the  class  had  so  indicated  their  readiness  to  give  the  solution  a 
pupil  was  called  on.  Another  teacher  conducted  an  oral  drill  upon  the 
number  facts  of  addition  and  subtraction  by  having  the  combinations 
written  on  the  board  and  pointing  to  the  combinations  to  be  given. 

Until  the  beginning  of  the  administration  of  the  present  superin- 
tendent the  work  in  arithmetic  was  largely  oral  and  a  stereotyped  form 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.       83 

of  oral  analysis  was  insisted  upon.  Traces  of  this  extreme  emphasis 
upon  oral  arithmetic  are  still  evident.  The  writer  was  told  that  pupils 
asked  if  they  might  solve  the  examples  of  Courtis  Test  No.  7  mentally, 
and,  judging  from  the  papers,  some  pupils  did  so. 

CLASSROOM    TECHNIQUE. 

There  is  considerable  work  at  the  blackboard.  The  writer  commends 
this  practice  and  urges  that  there  be  even  more  in  the  upper  grades.  In 
the  handling  of  work  at  the  board  greater  efficiency  would  be  obtained 
by  improved  classroom  technique.  For  instance,  a  class  was  observed 
which  was  being  drilled  upon  addition.  One  example  was  dictated;  this 
was  solved,  and  then  another  dictated,  and  so  on.  Some  pupils  finished 
and  were  compelled  to  wait  until  others  finished.  A  few  did  not  finish. 
Now  much  time  could  be  saved  if  three  or  four  examples  were  dictated  at 
a  time,  and  the  work  were  stopped  as  soon  as  a  pupil  had  finished  all  the 
examples.  Even  the  slower  pupils  would  then  have  some  completed 
work.  A  record  of  the  number  of  examples  solved  and  the  number  cor- 
rect would  represent  each  pupil's  score  for  the  day. 

One  wasteful  method  was  observed.  Pupils  were  solving  purely  drill 
exercises  on  their  slates.  After  all  had  finished,  a  group  were  selected 
to  place  their  work  on  the  board.  The  work  was  then  explained  in  detail. 
In  fact,  it  seemed  that  there  was  too  much  explaining  of  purely  abstract 
work.  Much  of  our  understanding  of  things  grows  out  of  their  use  or 
manipulation.  For  the  fundamental  operations  of  arithmetic,  drill  is  re- 
quireol  upon  the  operations  rather  than  upon  repeated  explanations  of 
them. 

Much  of  the  work  on  practical  problems  was  desultory.  This  was 
probably  due  in  part  to  the  assigning  of  the  same  problems  to  all  or  a 
group  of  students. 

In  the  case  of  practical  problems,  when  the  purpose  is  study  rather 
than  drill,  the  work  can  be  improved  by  making  each  pupil  responsible 
for  a  group  of  problems  either  in  the  text  or  from  lists  supplied  by  the 
teacher.  When  a  pupil  has  finished  one  problem  let  him  immediately  pro- 
ceed to  another,  but  save  his  work  until  the  teacher  can  look  it  over.  This 
plan  will  give  each  pupil  something  to  do  every  minute  of  the  class  period. 
A  few  teachers  in  Leavenworth  are  now  following  approximately  this 
plan.  The  teacher  may  spend  her  time,  as  some  teachers  were  observed 
to  do,  in  passing  from  pupil  to  pupil  giving  assistance  to  an  individual 
or  a  group  when  it  is  wise  to  do  so.  In  this  way  the  teacher's  help  is 
given  in  response  to  a  specific  difficulty  which  the  pupil  has  met. 

MOTIVE. 

It  has  been  stated  that  "such  statistical  information  as  we  have  shows 
that  arithmetic  has  always  been  looked  upon  by  children  as  one  of  the 
most  interesting  subjects  in  the  course."* 

*  D.  E.  Smith.     The  Teaching  of  Arithmetic. 


84  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

TABLE  XXI. 

Tabulation  of  the  replies  to  the  question,  "What  school  subject  do  you 

like  best?" 

Subject  Grade  6.     Grade  7.     Grade  8. 

Arithmetic 67  78             70 

Drawing    1 

Geography 59 

Grammar 19  27             20 

History    1  10             30 

Manual  training 1 

Music   5  2               1 

Reading 38  41             24 

Spelling  9  6 

Physiology    1  1 

The  question,  "What  school  subject  do  you  like  best?"  was  asked  of 
the  pupils  in  grades  six,  seven  and  eight.  Table  XXI  shows  arithmetic 
to  be  the  most  popular  subject  in  Leaven  worth  in  these  grades.  This 
immediate  interest  in  arithmetic  furnishes  a  partial  motive  for  its  study. 
An  additional  motive  is  secured  by  causing  the  pupils  to  understand  the 
relation  of  the  problems  to  the  practical  situations  which  produce  them, 
as  was  done  in  the  teaching  of  trade  discount.  The  pupils  then  see  the 
use  of  the  problem. 

Another  teacher  was  found  who  in  teaching  insurance  was  spending 
two  or  three  days  in  studying  the  insurance  business  and  insurance  com- 
panies. The  pupils  and  teacher  were  contributing  to  a  common  fund  of 
knowledge  about  the  practical  situation  which  occasioned  the  arith- 
metical problems  of  insurance. 

Some  attempts  to  motivate,  however,  were  not  so  successful.  Much 
of  the  success  in  securing  motive  must  result  from  the  assignment.  The 
lack  of  good  assignments  no  doubt  contributes  to  the  passivity  and 
desultoriness  of  some  of  the  work  observed. 

Classroom  technique  is  also  a  factor  in  securing  motive.  This  is  par- 
ticularly true  in  the  case  of  drill  upon  the  operations  of  addition,  sub- 
traction, multiplication  and  division.  A  plan  of  procedure  which  insures 
rapid  and  continued  work  will  create  enthusiasm.  Such  a  plan  has 
already  been  mentioned  under  the  head  of  classroom  technique. 

ARITHMETICAL   ABILITIES. 

The  Courtis  Standard  Test  No.  7  was  given  to  the  pupils  in  the  fourth, 
fifth,  sixth,  seventh  and  eighth  grades  in  all  of  the  buildings  except 
Wilson  and  Cleveland.  These  two  schools  present  essentially  rural  con- 
ditions, and  the  number  of  pupils  in  these  grades  was  so  small  that  it 
was  decided  not  to  give  the  test. 

The  test  was  given  by  the  building  principals  of  the  three  large  ele- 
mentary schools,  Oak  Street,  Third  Avenue,  and  Morris.  The  directions 
supplied  by  Mr.  Courtis  were  followed  carefully.  A  copy  of  the  test  was 
supplied  to  each  pupil  and  twelve  minutes  were  allowed  for  the  work. 
The  papers  were  scored  by  the  teachers  and  were  checked  by  the  writer 
and  a  clerk  working  under  his  supervision.  All  calculations  were  made 
in  accordance  with  the  directions. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        85 


TABLE  XXII. 

Courtis  Standard  Test  No.  7. — Class  Averages. 

ATTEMPTS. 


Grades. 

4 

5B         5A 

6B         6A 

7B        7A 

8B          8A 

Standard  score       

7.0 

9.0 

11.0 

12.5 

144 

Third  Avenue  

6.5 

6.3        8.2 

8.8 

7.7        6.8 

9.2        8.2 

Morris  

4.6 

5.4 

8.6        8.0 

8.6        9.8 

10.8      12.2 

Oak  Street     

5.8 

«.-      6.7 

8.2 

7.7        9.7 

10.4        9.5 

Maplewood  

7.7 

6.6        5.9 

7.5        8.0 

Sumner  

6.8 

8.7 

9.3 

9.4 

9.8 

Lincoln  

3.6 

5.4 

8.2 

10.4 

9.1 

Franklin  

5.5 

9.1 

9.1 

Jefferson  

7.0 

TABLE  XXIII. 

Courtis  Standard  Test  No.  7. — Class  Averages. 

RIGHTS. 


Grades. 


SCHOOLS. 

4 

5B         5A 

6B         6A 

7B        7A 

8B         8A 

Standard  score  
Third  Avenue  
Morris 

3.5 
1.5 
2  2 

5.2 
4.9        6.5 
3  1 

6.7 
4.7 
42        40 

8.2 
4.4        3.9 
58        66 

94 
5.6         5.7 
80         83 

Oak  Street 

1  7 

3  4 

5  2 

47        52 

70         65 

Maplewood 

1  3 

07        22 

38        44 

Sumner 

2  6 

4  4 

5  2 

6  4 

6  3 

Lincoln  .... 

0  9 

2  6 

6  1 

7  2 

4  9 

Franklin    .  . 

3  7 

4  5 

4  7 

Jefferson  

4.3 

The  classes  were  sufficiently  large  for  the  average  scores  to  be  reliable 
in  most  cases.  In  considering  Table  XXII  we  find  that  the  fourth  grade 
of  the  Maplewood  School  exceeds  the  standard  average  number  of  ex- 
amples attempted,  and  the  fourth  grade  of  the  Jefferson  School  just 
equaled  the  standard  average.  The  fifth  grade  in  the  Franklin  School 
exceeds  the  standard.  But  in  no  other  case  is  the  standard  average 
equaled  or  exceeded.  Thus  out  of  42  classes  only  three  equaled  or  ex- 
ceeded the  standard  average  for  the  number  of  examples  attempted. 
The  average  for  most  of  the  classes  fall  conspicuously  below  the  standard; 
for  example,  the  third  and  fourth  grades  in  the  Lincoln  School,  the 
seventh  and  eighth  grades  in  the  Sumner  School,  and  practically  all  of 


86 


KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


the  classes  in  the  three  larger  schools,  Third  Avenue,  Oak  Street,  and 
Morris.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  three  cases  of  equaling  or  ex- 
ceeding the  standard  average  of  examples  attempted  occur  in  the  smaller 
schools. 

In  Table  XXIII  we  find  that  again  three  classes  equal  or  exceed  the 
standard  average  for  the  number  of  examples  worked  correctly,  but  in 
only  one  case  do  we  have  the  same  class,  viz.,  the  fourth  grade  in  the 
Jefferson  School.  The  fourth  grade  in  the  Franklin  School  and  the 
fifth  A  grade  of  the  Third  Avenue  School  are  the  other  two  cases.  The 
fourth  grade  of  the  Maplewood  School  is  one  of  the  three  lowest  in 
number  right,  although  it  stood  highest  in  the  number  of  examples  at- 
tempted. 

TABLE  XXIV. 
Per  Cent  of  Examples  Right  (Based  upon  Class  Averages). 


Grades. 

4 

5B       5A 

6B       6A 

7B       7A 

8B     8A 

Standard   score  

50 

58 

61 

66 

67 

Third  Avenue  

23 

78        79 

53 

57        57 

61        69 

Morris  

48 

57 

49        50 

67        67 

74        68 

Oak  Street  

29 

50 

63 

61        53 

67        68 

Maplewood  

17 

11        37 

50        55 

Sumner  

38 

50 

56 

68 

64 

Lincoln  

25 

48 

74 

69 

54 

Franklin 

67 

50 

52 

Jefferson  

61 

It  may  be  thought  that  the  low  class  averages  may  be  due  to  the  pupils 
working  slowly  but  with  unusual  accuracy.  In  Table  XXIV  we  give  the 
per  cent  of  examples  right  as  determined  from  the  above  class  average. 
This  table  shows  that  in  a  very  few  cases  the  per  cent  of  examples  worked 
correctly  is  materially  above  the  standard  per  cent  right.  For  instance, 
the  classes  in  the  Maplewood  School  are  below  the  standard  for  both 
number  and  the  per  cent  of  examples  worked  correctly.  In  the  funda- 
mental operations  of  arithmetic,  with  the  exception  of  the  fourth  grade, 
the  pupils  of  the  Maplewood  School  work  more  slowly  and  make  relatively 
more  mistakes  than  the  standard  classes. 

On  the  other  hand,  both  fifth-grade  classes  of  the  Third  Avenue  School 
work  more  slowly  but  with  more  accuracy  than  the  standard  fifth-grade 
class.  In  fact,  the  fifth  A  class  is  so  accurate  that  the  average  number 
of  examples  worked  correctly  is  conspicuously  above  the  standard.  The 
fourth  grade  of  the  Jefferson  School  has  the  distinction  of  being  above 
standard  from  every  point  of  view. 

The  observations  of  the  writer  tend  to  confirm  the  results  of  the  tests. 
The  inaccuracy  of  pupils  was  conspicuous  in  a  number  of  classes,  and 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.       87 

teachers  commented  upon  the  fact.  The  necessity  of  drill  is  emphasized 
by  the  superintendent  in  the  course  of  study,  but  apparently  it  has  been 
neglected  for  very  little  rapid  drill  work  was  seen. 

RECOMMENDATIONS. 

The  results  of  the  Courtis  test  show  a  need  for  written  drill  upon  the 
fundamental  operations  with  integers.  This  drill  should  secure  increased 
speed  and  accuracy. 

More  attention  should  be  given  to  the  study  of  the  practical  situations 
which  produce  the  "practical"  problems.  In  doing  this  it  would  be  well 
for  a  class  to  make  a  special  study  of  some  practical  situations,  such  as 
banking,  insurance,  building  or  construction  work,  etc.  But  the  teacher 
should  avoid  the  monotony  which  wilt  result  if  each  succeeding  class  is 
ground  through  the  same  plan.  The  topics  for  special  study  should  vary 
from  class  to  class.  Let  each  class  have  its  own  "hobby."  After  a  practical 
situation  has  been  studied,  a  wide  range  of  the  typical  problems  from 
that  situation  should  be  studied.  If  it  is  desirable  to  supplement  the 
text  in  this  respect,  lists  of  problems  may  be  collected  by  the  teacher  and 
pupils.  It  might  be  profitable  to  have  such  lists  mimeographed  and  a 
copy  placed  in  the  hands  of  each  pupil. 

It  is  believed  that  the  work  would  be  improved  by  exercising  more  dis- 
crimination and  evaluation  in  determining  the  subject  matter  which  is  to 
be  taught.  The  elimination  of  some  obsolete  or  obsolescent  material  has 
been  accomplished.  But  it  may  be  questioned  whether  such  a  topic  as 
"special  per  cents  to  be  memorized"  deserves  to  be  taught  and  drilled 
upon.  Knowledge  of  these  special  per  cents  is  useful  only  as  a  device 
which  saves  time  when  one  has  many  problems  to  solve  which  involve 
these  per  cents.  The 'devices  will  be  acquired  by  the  pupils  if  they  are 
really  useful. 

The  results  of  arithmetic  teaching  should  be  measured  by  the  best 
instruments  available.  At  present  these  are  the  Courtis  Standard  Tests. 
The  building  principals  should  assume  the  responsibility  for  this  work 
as  part  of  their  work  of  supervision.  The  Courtis  Standard  Tests  are 
also  valuable  for  purposes  of  detailed  diagnosis.  The  weaknesses  of 
backward  pupils  may  be  determined  and  the  appropriate  remedy  applied. 

It  is  also  not  too  much  to  expect  that  the  principals  and  teachers  at- 
tempt the  scientific  determinations  of  the  best  methods  and  devices  of 
teaching  arithmetic. 


88  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

DRAWING  IN  THE  ELEMENTARY  SCHOOL. 

Ella  V.  Dobbs. 

THE   COURSE   OF   STUDY. 

DRAWING  is  taught  in  all  grades  of  the  elementary  schools  of  Leaven- 
worth  and  has  been  under  the  direction  of  a  supervisor  for  two  years. 
The  Applied  Arts  Drawing  Books  form  the  basis  of  the  course,  which  is 
planned  with  reference  to  the  seasons  of  the  year,  and  includes  color 
work  with  brush  and  crayon,  pencil  sketches,  and  designs  to  be  applied 
to 'handwork  projects.  The  handwork  includes  paper  cutting  and  fold- 
ing, weaving  and  basketry,  and  construction  in  paper  and  cardboard. 

The  organization  falls  into  three  general  types  of  work:  First,  appre- 
ciation of  the  beauty  of  line,  form  and  color  is  sought  through  the  mak- 
ing of  sketches  of  landscapes,  fruits,  flowers,  leaves,  and  through  pose 
work,  object  drawing,  and  all  forms  of  representative  art.  Second,  the 
relation  of  art  principles  to  common  things  is  studied  through  the  making 
and  decorating  of  articles  for  school  and  home  use,  such  as  booklets, 
blotters,  telephone  pads,  wastebaskets,  table  covers,  etc.  Third,  acquain- 
tance with  and  interest  in  good  pictures  is  sought  through  a  study  of 
some  of  the  world's  great  masterpieces,  •  and  in  making  collections  of 
small  prints. 

A  general  outline  for  each  grade  is  prepared  for  the  year.  This  is 
supplemented  by  a  specific  outline  given  to  the  teachers  month  by  month, 
in  which  definite  projects  are  suggested  and  directions  given  for  carry- 
ing them  out.  For  example,  the  outline  for  the  first  month  for  the  first 
grade  makes  the  circle  the  basis  of  form  study,  and  directs  that  the 
pupils  be  given  circular  pieces  of  cardboard  as  guides  in  drawing  circles. 
After  they  draw  around  the  cardboard,  the  circle  is  to  be  filled  in  with  a 
colored  crayon  in  imitation  of  a  balloon,  an  apple,  or  some  other  circular 
object.  The  organization  progresses  month  by  month  through  the  com- 
mon geometrical  figures,  as  square,  triangle,  etc.,  each  being  applied 
later  to  familiar  objects. 

These  monthly  outlines  also  suggest  definite  projects  in  construction 
which  embody  the  art  principles  studied.  One  such  outline  for  the 
upper  grades  included  complete  directions  and  dimensions  for  making  a 
blotting  pad,  for  which  original  border  designs  were  to  be  drawn  and 
applied  by  the  pupils.  These  monthly  outlines  aim  to  provide  ample 
work  for  classes  that  work  rapidly,  and  provision  is  made  for  omissions 
by  classes  which  must  work  slowly.  They  also  tend  to  keep  the  work 
uniform  throughout  the  city,  and  maintain  a  fair  standard  of  excellence. 

SPECIAL   TEACHERS   FOR   DRAWING. 

In  each  building  arrangements  are  made  for  teachers  who  have  special 
talent  or  training  in  art,  to  teach  this  subject  in  several  rooms.  The 
supervisor  wisely  allows  ample  freedom  to  all  teachers  who  are  able  to 
work  independently. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        89 

THE   TEACHING   OF  DRAWING. 

School  art  courses  have  been  strongly  influenced  by  the  logical  and 
traditional  methods  used  in  art  schools  where  the  study  is  directed  toward 
picture  making.  The  work  in  Leavenworth  shows  the  effect  of  these 
traditional  methods,  but  it  also  shows  a  strong  tendency  to  break  away 
from  traditions  which  do  not  prove  themselves  well  adapted  to  present 
needs.  The  present  work  compares  well  with  average  school  art  work, 
and  that  which  is  being  done  is  being  done  well.  Both  teachers  and  su- 
pervisor seem  keenly  alive  to  the  importance  of  the  subject,  and  conditions 
are  ripe  for  the  forward  step  which  will  place  Leavenworth  among  the 
leaders  in  this  field. 

Judged  from  the  standpoint  of  execution  alone,  the  work,  as  observed 
by  the  writer,  rises  to  its  highest  point  in  nature  sketches  and  object 
drawing.  Systematic  work  on  the  part  of  the  teacher  and  painstaking 
effort  on  the  part  of  the  pupil  combine  to  produce  results  of  remarkably 
uniform  excellence  in  neatness  and  quality  of  work.  Judged  from  the 
standpoint  of  practical  value,  the  highest  point  is  reached  in  the  work  in 
applied  design.  Some  excellent  work  was  observed  by  the  writer  in  the 
Morris  School,  in  which  the  pupils  had  designed  borders  for  blotting  pads 
from  a  leaf  motif.  Each  pupil  made  his  own  design  and  had  cut  a  stencil 
to  aid  in  its  application  to  the  blotter.  After  the  pupils  had  made  some 
unsuccessful  attempts  to  mix  appropriate  colors,  a  specific  lesson  on  color 
combinations  was  given.  Two  color  schemes  were  agreed  upon  as  suit- 
able to  the  paper  from  which  the  blotters  were  made.  The  class  was 
divided  into  two  groups.  Methods  were  discussed  and  definite  instruc- 
tions given  for  obtaining  the  desired  tones  in  each  color  scheme.  The 
entire  class  gave  attention  to  the  instruction  in  both  schemes,  and  con- 
trasts between  the  two  were  noted.  Following  the  theoretical  instruction 
each  pupil  worked  individually  upon  one  of  the  two  schemes  discussed. 
The  results  promised  to  be  very  satisfactory. 

Work  of  this  type  is  to  be  commended  in  that  it  provides  a  strong 
motive  and  scope  for  initiative  through  the  individual  interest  of  each 
pupil  in  reaching  a  high  standard  of  execution  in  making  something 
which  Jie  values.  Answers  to  the  question,  "What  that  you  have  made 
have  you  enjoyed  most?"  called  forth  a  strong  vote  for  blotter  pads. 
This  lesson  is  to  be  commended  also  in  that  it  gave  definite  help  to  the 
children  after  they  had  tried  to  work  alone  and  had  discovered  their  own 
needs.  While  sound  pedagogy  demands  that  children  shall  not  be  told 
what  they  can  readily  discover  for  themselves,  it  does  not  require  that 
they  shall  be  left  to  rediscover,  unaided,  all  the  short  cuts  known  to 
modern  science. 

Work  of  this  type,  if  continued  throughout  the  grades  for  a  period  of 
years,  would  tend  to  develop  initiative  and  resourcefulness  and  would 
make  possible  a  greater  amount  of  individuality  than  that  described.  For 
example,  in  classes  accustomed  to  individual  effort,  a  choice  in  motif 
as  well  as  design  could  be  encouraged,  together  with  a  greater  variety 
in  color  schemes. 


90  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

SCHOOLROOM    DECORATIONS. 

Interest  in  the  field  of  picture  study  is  evidenced  in  an  unusually 
large  number  of  well-chosen  copies  of  good  pictures  which  are  to  be 
found  on  the  walls  of  the  Leavenworth  schools.  In  some  instances  the 
effect  of  really  fine,  large  pictures  is  lowered  by  an  excess  of  small 
pictures  filling  up  the  background,  or  by  an  overdecoration  of  the  black- 
board. The  blackboard  in  a  schoolroom  is  designed  primarily  for  the 
practice  work  of  pupils.  Any  decoration  which  takes  up  needed  space  is 
ill  advised.  And  further,  blackboard  crayons  are  apt  to  be  strong  and 
crude  in  color.  The  decorations  made  from  them  are  not  apt  to  be  of  a 
high  grade  of  art,  or  calculated  to  aid  in  developing  a  high  order  of 
appreciation  in  the  pupils.*  Those  made  from  prepared  stencils  are  apt 
to  be  marked  by  fanciness  rather  than  beauty. 

BOOKS   FOR   REFERENCE. 

It  is  suggested  that  instead  of  using  any  one  drawing  book  all  drawing 
work  be  done  on  separate  paper  and  that  each  room  be  supplied  with 
several  good  drawing  books  of  suitable  grade,  and  other  reference  ma- 
terial. This  reference  material  should  include  at  least  a  good  periodical 
for  each  building  (such  as  the  School  Arts  Magazine).  Pupils  should  be 
encouraged  to  bring  in  additional  helps  as  needed.  Instead  of  following  a 
drawing-book  course,  the  subject  matter  should  grow  out  of  the  im- 
mediate interests  of  the  school  and  the  home,  that  the  children  may  feel 
that  beauty  is  an  essential  element  in  daily  life — not  that  art  is  a  desir- 
able but  superfluous  decoration  of  things. 

APPLICATIONS. 

Daily  lesson  papers  in  all  school  subjects  shoul'd  receive  the  same  care 
in  matters  of  spacing  and  neatness  that  is  given  to  a  sketch  in  the 
drawing  lesson.  Letter-writing  calls  for  the  exercise  of  taste  and  the 
application  of  art  principles  in  the  choice  of  paper,  the  width  of  margin, 
and  the  arrangement  of  the  page.  Art  principles  apply  to  the  making 
of  book  covers  and  illustrations  for  composition  work,  to  poster  illustra- 
tions for  geography  and  history,  to  the  case  and  repair  of  schoolbooks, 
and  to  taste  and  comfort  in  classroom  conveniences,  such  as  blotters, 
pencil  boxes,  and  book  bags.  Too  frequently  the  beautiful  things  of  this 
type  which  are  made  by  the  pupils  are  put  away  in  a  drawer-  to  be  saved 
for  the  annual  exhibit,  while  daily  needs  are  supplied  by  any  sort  of 
accessories  which  the  child  may  happen  to  possess.  The  supervisor's  in- 
fluence may  be  legitimately  extended  to  include  these  fields  which  our 
present  common  practice  tends  to  separate  from  the  realm  of  art  in  the 
minds  of  the  children. 

The  art  course  may  profitably  include,  also,  definite  study  of  costume 
designing  and  house  furnishing,  which  may  be  begun  in  the  lower  grades 
in  the  dressing  of  dolls  and  the  building  of  playhouses  and  lead  up  to 
the  making  in  the  upper  grades  of  things  to  be  actually  worn  and  used  in 
the  home. 

Through  these  and  similar  projects  the  art  work  should  take  on  a 
very  practical  turn,  and  mere  drawing  occupy  a  very  subordinate  place. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.       91 

School  art  should  seek  to  make  every  child  familiar  with  the  distinctions 
between  good  and  bad  in  these  common  things.  It  should  be  the  esthetic 
element,  the  note  of  beauty  which  enters  into  and  crowns  every  activity 
of  the  day.  It  should  make  pupils  live  more  beautifully.  Whatever 
needs  to  be  done  should  be  done  in  the  most  beautiful  way  possible.  The 
study  of  what  constitutes  the  most  beautiful  way  and  how  to  secure  the 
desired  result  would  suggest  the  topic  for  the  drawing  period.  The  super- 
visor would  then  need  to  spend  very  little  time  on  preparing  the  details 
of  a  course  of  study,  but  a  great  deal  of  time  studying  what  things 
needed  to  be  done,  and  would  act  as  a  general  adviser  in  finding  the  best 
and  most  beautiful  way  to  do  them. 

The  trend  of  modern  school  art  is  toward  greater  emphasis  on  this 
practical  application,  but  it  can  not  be  accomplished  with  any  degree  of 
success  unless  art  study  is  bound  up,  literally  entangled  in,  the  things 
which  mean  most  to  the  children.  The  making  of  kites,  the  dressing  of 
dolls  and  the  building  of  a  playhouse  offer  a  better  point  of  attack  than 
a  logical  arrangement  of  geometric  figures  or  a  formal  study  of  primary 
and  secondary  colors.  The  logical  organization  of  these  technical  princi- 
ples belongs  in  the  upper  grades  after  a  sufficient  accumulation  of  first- 
hand experience  to  make  them  intelligible. 


92  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

GEOGRAPHY. 

Walter  S.  Monroe. 
THE  COURSE   OF   STUDY. 

GEOGRAPHY  is  taught  in  the  fourth,  fifth,  sixth  and  seventh  grades. 
The  state  texts,  King's  Primary  Geography  and  Tarr  and  McMurry's 
Advanced  Book,  are  used.  In  addition,  a  varying  amount  of  supple- 
mentary material  is  used. 

The  writer  was  told  by  some  of  the  teachers  in  a  general  meeting  that 
some  home  geography  was  taught  in  the  grades  below  the  fourth,  but  it 
is  not  mentioned  in  the  course  of  study  nor  is  it  given  in  the  teachers' 
own  reports  on  the  disposition  of  their  time.  Hence  it  must  be  of  a  very 
incidental  type  and  not  significant  as  to  quantity. 

The  order  of  the  course  of  study  follows  that  of  the  texts,  except  that 
Part  IV  of  Tarr  and  McMurry's  Advanced  Book  is  made  to  follow 
Part  V.  The  aim  and  scope  of  the  work  of  the  fourth  grade  is  described 
in  the  printed  course  of  study  as  follows: 

AIM    1.    To  teach  the  child  to  observe  by  observing. 

2.    To  teach  the  child  to  read  maps  and  pictures. 

1.  Geography  looked   at  from  the  teacher's  point  of  view  may  be 
divided  into  the  following  kinds: 

(a)  Observational  Geography,  relating  to  land  forms,  water 
forms,  atmospheric  forms,  life  forms. 

(6)  Representative  Geography,  relating  to  maps,  graphs,  and 
pictures. 

(c)  Rational  Geography,  relating  to  movements  of  the  earth  and 
results,  movements  of  water  and  results,  movements  of  life  and 
results. 

2.  Geography  in  the  fourth  grade  should,  of  course,  be  largely   (a) 
and   (6).     (a)   should  be  taught  almost  entirely  outdoors,  with  constant 
reviews  in  class  work  indoors. 

King's  Primary  Geography  is  the  basis  for  the  work  of  this  grade. 
Part  1,  10  pages,  is  called  "Home  Geography  by  Observation,"  but  it  pre- 
sents a  very  inadequate  treatment  of  the  topic.  Following  this  we  find 
the  usual  order  of  topics — "The  Earth  as  a  Whole,"  "North  America," 
etc.  There  is  nothing  in  the  printed  course  of  study  to  show  that  this 
order  is  not  followed  in  the  teaching  of  geography. 

An  unusual  number  of  geographical  readers  and  other  reference 
books  were  reported  by  many  teachers.  A  number  of  such  books  were  in 
evidence  in  a  few  classrooms  and%  some  were  observed  in  use.  On  the 
other  hand,  a  few  teachers  reported  practically  no  books  suitable  for 
children  to  read. 

ILLUSTRATIVE   MATERIAL. 

The  illustrative  material  in  evidence  likewise  varied.  In  some  rooms 
a  marvelous  amount  of  material  had  been  collected  to  illustrate  topics. 
In  other  rooms  there  was  practically  no  illustrative  material  except  the 
usual  maps.  Much  of  this  material  was  excellent,  but  some  of  it  could 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.       93 

contribute  but  little  to  the  work  of  the  class  if  the  supplementary  books 
were  used  intelligently.  For  example,  a  number  of  charts  had  been  made 
of  pictures  cut  from  old  geography  texts.  These  are  very  apt  to  be 
inferior  to  the  pictures  of  the  present  text.  The  principal  value  which 
could  come  from  such  material  would  grow  out  of  the  actual  work  of  col- 
lecting the  pictures;  hence  it  will  be  of  little  value  to  any  class  but  the 
one  which  constructed  it. 

Much  of  the  illustrative  material  has  been  planned  and  prepared  by 
the  teacher  with  little  assistance  from  the  pupils.  The  finished  character 
of  the  material  shows  this  to  be  true,  and  teachers  said  this  was  the  case. 
By  such  action  the  pupils  have  been  deprived  of  the  opportunity  for 
exhibiting  initiative,  for  planning  and  doing  something  which  has  a 
tangible  material  form.  Teachers  in-other  schools  have  secured  excellent 
results  by  keeping  in  the  background  and  allowing  the  pupils  to  do  the 
bulk  of  the  planning  and  the  work.  It  is  true  that  they  got  a  more  crude 
product,  but  it  is  believed  that  the  educational  value  to  the  pupils  was 
much  greater. 

THE   MODES   OF  TEACHING  GEOGRAPHY. 

1.  Question  and  answer.     In  response  to  a  question  or  request  for 
specific  information,  it  is  given  by  the  pupil  called  upon.     Some  of  the 
teachers  appear  to  use  this  mode  of  teaching  almost  exclusively,  and  a 
few  have  become  rather  expert  in  doing  it. 

2.  Semi-lecture.    The  teacher  does  most  of  the  talking,  interspersing 
her  talk  with  a  few  questions.    Illustrative  material  is  often  used  in  this 
type  of  teaching. 

3.  Extended  recitations  by  pupils.     A  pupil,  when  called  upon,  talks 
upon  one  or  more  phases  of  the  general  topic  which  has  been  assigned 
for  the  day.     The  pupil  chooses  the  particular  topic  upon  which  he  or 
she  talks.    One  seventh-grade  pupil  was  observed  to  talk  for  five  minutes. 
The  teacher  talks  very  little;  in  fact,  is  quite  completely  in  the  back- 
ground. 

At  times  these  talks  are  illustrated  by  pictures  brought  from  home 
by  the  pupils.  One  teacher  said,  in  describing  a  lesson  on  the  Grand 
Canyon  of  Colorado :  "The  children  were  asked  to  bring  pictures  of  rock, 
rivers,  or  scenes  in  Colorado  near  this  river  or  of  the  canyon.  The  next 
day  each  child  had  either  received  information  from  other  persons  at 
home  or  had  pictures  of  the  canyon  or  surrounding  places.  As  most  of 
the  pictures  were  on  postal  cards,  or  even  smaller,  the  class  was  taken 
to  another  room  and  these  pictures  were  shown  to  them  by  means  of  the 
reflectoscope.  Each  picture  was  explained  by  either  a  pupil  or  myself." 

Each  of  these  modes  of  teaching  has  its  particular  function  in  the 
process  of  teaching,  and  a  number  of  characteristics  of  excellent  teach- 
ing were  observed  in  the  use  of  these  modes  by  the  teachers ;  for  example, 
the  successful  relegation  of  the  teacher  to  the  background  in  the  case  of 
"extended  recitations  by  pupils,"  and  the  spirited  and  thorough  testing  of 
the  pupils  by  questions  and  answers.  The  most  animated  work  observed 
was  furnished  by  a  recitation  of  the  latter  type.  But  one  gets  the  im- 
pression that  the  teachers  were  not  discriminating  in  their  use  of  these 
modes.  A  few  appeared  to  be  using  one  mode  to  almost  a  total  exclusion 
of  the  others. 


94  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

MOTIVE. 

In  the  case  of  "extended  recitations  by  pupils,"  one  class  was  ob- 
served in  which  approximately  half  of  the  number  were  plainly  in- 
attentive. This  was  caused  in  part  by  the  fact  that  all  had  been  given  the 
same  general  assignment,  and  thus  the  recitation  of  any  pupil  could  not 
have  a  deep,  vital  interest  to  the  other  members  of  the  class.  Also,  this 
condition  probably  was  partly  due  to  the  monotony  of  this  mode  of  teach- 
ing when  used  exclusively. 

In  some  cases  the  attention  of  the  pupils  to  the  subject  matter  of 
geography  is  based  upon  real  motives,  but  for  the  great  majority  of 
recitations  the  appeal  is  made  to  artificial  incentives,  though  usually  of 
the  higher  types.  This  motivation  of  the  work  in  geography  could  be 
improved  by  (1)  a  more  discriminating  use  of  the  modes  of  teaching; 
(2)  more  reports  by  pupils  upon  topics  not  assigned  to  other  members 
of  the  class.  In  so  far  as  possible  these  should  be  of  the  pupil's  own 
choosing. 

A  class  was  observed  in  which  a  large  per  cent  of  the  children  were 
of  foreign  descent,  and  the  teacher  said  one  was  foreign-born.  The  class 
was  studying  Europe,  and  the  teacher  could  profitably  make  use  of  this 
condition.  It  is  probable  that  the  pupils  of  foreign  descent  possessed 
knowledge,  or  could  obtain  it  in  their  homes,  of  certain  of  the  countries 
of  Europe,  and  would  have  a  real  motive  for  contributing  this  to  the 
class.  Certainly  they  would  have  a  vital  interest  in  reading  about  the 
home  of  their  ancestors. 

THE   PUPILS'   KNOWLEDGE   OF   GEOGRAPHY. 

The  pupils'  knowledge  of  geography  could  be  judged  only  on  the  basis 
of  the  classes  observed.  Some  classes  showed  a  good  knowledge  of 
geographical  facts,  other  classes  only  a  fair  knowledge.  In  general,  the 
best  knowledge  was  exhibited  by  those  classes  which  had  been  confined 
to  mere  factual  subject  matter,  such  as  location  and  bounding  of  states. 
In  some  instances,  where  review  questions  were  asked,  a  number  of 
pupils  made  a  poor  showing.  This  suggests  that  in  these  cases  the  sub- 
ject matter  had  been  learned  only  for  the  time  being  and  that  there  were 
not  well-defined  ideas  back  of  the  words.  It  seemed  that  adequate-  pro- 
vision was  made  for  drill  if  the  subject  matter  was  properly  understood 
when  it  was  gone  over. 

In  conclusion  it  may  be  said  that  there  are  evident  attempts  to  place 
the  instruction  in  geography  on  the  higher  plane.  However,  much  of  the 
instruction  is  on  the  lower  plane. 

RECOMMENDATIONS. 

The  course  of  study  will  be  improved  by  the  exercise  of  more  discrim- 
ination in  the  selection  of  the  subject  matter,  and  particularly  in  the 
relative  emphasis.  The  writer  believes  that  the  bounding  of  states, 
rivers,  lakes,  capes,  etc.,  has  an  important  place  in  geography,  but  in 
the  past  this  has  often  been  almost  the  whole  of  the  subject.  In  some  of 
the  classes  visited  the  writer  believes  too  much  relative  emphasis  was 
being  given  to  this  type  of  subject  matter,  and  too  little  emphasis  to  the 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.        95 

human  aspects  of  the  country,  the  occupations,  the  child-life,  the  in- 
dustries, etc.  » 

Perhaps  some  incidental  study  of  local  and  state  geography  is  made 
in  the  primary  grades,  but  evidently  it  has  not  been  given  a  place  in  the 
printed  course  of  study  and  is  not  considered  a  subject  by  the  teachers. 
It  is  recommended  that  more  prominence  be  given  to  local  and  state 
geography  in  the  early  part  of  the  course.  Leavenworth  is  particularly 
rich  in  local  geographical  material,  because  of  its  geographical  position 
and  its  varied  industries  and  cosmopolitan  population.  In  view  of  this, 
more  than  usual  emphasis  upon  local  geography  might  be  justified. 

Only  a  limited  use  appears  to  be  made  of  type  studies,  and  the  work 
would  be  improved  by  more  of  such  studies.  Such  studies  possess  several 
advantages.  As  a  result  of  an  intensive  study  the  subject  matter  be- 
comes more  real  to  the  pupils,  thus  increasing  the  interest  in  the  work. 
Because  of  the  intensive  study,  the  subject  matter  is  remembered  better. 


96 


KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

HANDWRITING. 
W.  W.  Charters. 

THE   TIME   GIVEN   TO    HANDWRITING. 

HANDWRITING  is  given  as  a  major  subject  in  the  primary  grades  and  is 
continued  as  a  minor  subject  in  the  following  grades.  It  is  begun  in  the 
first  week  of  school,  and  5.8  per  cent  of  the  total  time  is  given  to  it.  If  we 
may  judge  from  the  table  given  on  page  59,  this  is  ample  time  provision. 
There  is  no  supervisor  of  handwriting. 

THE    QUALITY   OF   THE    HANDWRITING. 

Samples  of  the  best  handwriting  on  ruled  paper  with  ink  were  collected 
from  all  pupils  in  grades  2  to  8,  inclusive.  The  teachers  who  collected 
samples  were  instructed  to  say  to  the  pupils:  "You  are  to  write  your 
very  best.  Take  all  the  time  you  need  to  show  me  how  well  you  can 
write,  for  your  specimens  are  to  be  collected  and  sent  to  the  superin- 
tendent and  compared  with  the  handwriting  of  other  schools.  Write  as 
I  read." 

The  following  sentences  were  then  dictated: 

Then  the  carelessly  dressed  gentleman  stepped  lightly  into  Warren's  car- 
riage and  held  out  a  small  card. 

John  vanished  behind  the  bushes  and  the  carriage  moved  along  down  the 
driveway. 

The  samples  graded  were  taken  on  or  about  March  4,  1914,  and  repre- 
sent midyear  form.  The  Thorndike  scale  was  used  in  determining  the 
quality. 

TABLE  XXV. 

A  condensed  statement  of  the  best  handwriting  in  ink  of  the  children  in 
grades  2  to  8  of  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools,  March  1,  1914. 

GRADE  II. 


No.  of 

Q 

ualitj 

r. 

SCHOOL. 

cases. 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

A.  D. 

\ar. 

Cleveland  

5 

9 

1 

2 

Franklin  
Jefferson  
Maplewood.  .  . 

20 
36 
30 
23 

] 

3 
1 
...  . 

8 
20 
14 
12 

6 
11 

10 

7 

2 

4 
6 
2 

... 

7.25 
7.50 
7.70 
7  65 

.75 
.56 
.75 

75 

10.3 
7.5 
9.4 

9  7 

34 

q 

17 

3 

8  15 

68 

8  3 

Third  Ave... 
Wilson    ..    .. 

19 
6 

2 

10 
5 

5 
1 

2 

7.57 

.58 

7.9 

„ 

Total.... 

173 

1 

7 

80 

57 

22 

2 

3 

1 

7.67 

.77 

10.0 

SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN. 

GRADE  III. 


.97 


SCHOOL. 

No.  of 
cases. 

Quality. 

Av. 

A.  D. 

Var. 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

Cleveland.... 
Franklin   .... 
Jefferson  
Lincoln  
Maple  wood.  . 
Morris  
OakSt  
Sumner  
Third  Ave.... 

Total.... 

3 

14 
30 
13 
37 
25 
30 
23 
21 

"2' 

"2' 

2 

"& 

.... 

"f 

8 
10 
13 
10 
11 

6 

1 
4 
11 
1 
13 
6 
6 
5 
6 

1 
5 
9 

6 
5 
5 
6 
6 

1 
1 

"2" 
3 

"7' 

"2 
.... 

1 

"4' 
1 

.... 



8.23' 

Y.89' 
8.16 
7.27 
9.35 

8.24 

"'.77' 

i.66 

.96 
.80 
.86 
1.00 

'"VA 

\2.7 
11.8 
11.0 
10.3 
12.1 

196 

15 

61 

53 

43 

li 

9 

1 

8.03 

.98 

12.2 

GRADE  IV. 


Quality. 

No.  of 

1 

cases. 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

Cleveland  

3 

3 

Franklin  .... 

12 

1 

3 

4 

1 

2 

1 

Jefferson  

26 

6 

12 

5 

a 

9.19 

.65 

7.1 

Lincoln  

21 

3 

6 

9 

1 

2 

8.67 

.95 

11.0 

Maplewood.  . 

30 

7 

7 

8 

4 

2 

2 

7.67 

1.23 

16.0 

Morris  

23 

J 

rt 

7 

3 

1 

7.65 

.74 

9.7 

OakSt  

34 

1 

2 

10 

12 

7 

2 

8.82 

1.09 

12.4 

Sumner  

28 

3 

7 

5 

8 

2 

2 

1 

10.32 

1.25 

12.1 

Third  Ave. 

23 

1 

i 

<> 

10 

3 

1 

8  78 

1  22 

13  8 

Wilson      .... 

5 

1 

1 

j 

a 

Total.  .  .  . 

14.78 

205 

1 

3 

30 

49 

62 

25 

26 

6 

2 

1 

8^93 

1.32 

GRADE  V. 


SCHOOL. 

No.  of 
cases. 

Quality. 

Av. 

A.  D. 

Var. 

4 

5 
.... 

6 

7 

"3' 
1 
3 
3 
6 

"4' 

8 

"3 
5 
9 
15 
10 
4 
10 

9 

1 

4 
14 
15 
14 

7 
14 

10 

"2 
1 
6 
3 
4 
3 
10 

11 

12 

13 
1 
.... 

'  i 

— 

14 

i 

15 

16 

Cleveland.    .. 
Franklin   
Lincoln  
Maplewood.  . 
Morris  
Oak  St  
Sumner  
Third  Ave.... 

Total.... 

4 
11 
13 
39 
42 
37 
19 
54 

1 

1 

3 
2 
3 
4 
12 

27 

1 
.... 

3 
3 
.... 

2 

8.55 

9^05 
8.95 
8.68 
9.53 
9.57 

10.9 
i!o3 

1.12 
1.00 
.95 
1.24 

1L6 

i6!s 

12.5 
12.4 
9.9 
13.6 

219 

1 

20 

56) 

,71 

29 

11 

i 

9.15 

1.06 

11.6 

GRADE  VI. 


SCHOOL. 

No.  of 
cases. 

Quality. 

Av. 

A.  D. 

Var. 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9, 

10 

11 

J2 

13 

14 

15 

16 

Franklin   

16 

1 

6 

4 

3 

1 

1 

10.00 

1.00 

10.0 

Lincoln   

11 

5 

1 

4 

1 

Maplewood  .. 

40 

1 

16 

8 

7 

7 

1 

10.18 

1.28 

12.2 

Morris  

60 

9 

31 

9 

8 

3 

9.42 

.72 

7.6 

OakSt  

35 

5 

0 

14 

7 

2 

1 

8.97 

1.23 

13.7 

Sumner  .  .  . 

14 

1 

4 

2 

7 

Third  Ave.  .  .  . 

32 

1 

5 

10 

6 

6 

1 

1 

1 

1 

9.97 

1.41 

14.1 

Total.... 

208 

6 

23 

86 

37 

37 

14 

2 

1 

1  i     1 

9  69 

1.03 

10.6 

—7 


98 


KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


GRADE  VII. 


SCHOOL. 

No.  of 

Quality. 

Av. 

A.  D. 

Var. 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

Lincoln   
Morris  
OakSt  
Sumner  
Third  Ave.  .  .  . 

Total.  .  .  . 

11 
55 
64 
10 
60 

"2' 
5 

"4' 

5 
13 
14 

'l?' 

1 

8 
24 
3 
14 

4 
10 
12 
6 
15 

1 
13 

7 
1 
6 

"l 
2 

"4' 

"2' 

KL87' 
10.13 

HK23 

1A9 

.88 

L07 

'13^7 

8.7 

"w.5 

200 

11 

49 

50 

47 

28 

13 

2 

10.40 

1.11 

10.7 

GRADE  VIII. 


Q 

ualit. 

i- 

o 

No.  of 

cases. 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

Lincoln   

7 

2 

4 

10.40 

1.11 

10.7 

OakSt  

39 

8 

7 

8 

9 

5 

1 

10.08 

1.26 

12.6 

Morris  

22 

3 

4 

4 

4 

5 

1 

10.68 

1.41 

13.2 

Sumner  

5 

2 

1 

1 

Third  Ave.... 

75 

1 

20 

22 

24 

7 

10.25 

1.84 

18.9 

,..     Total.  .  .  . 

148 

12 

31 

36 

43 

18 

5 

3 

10.34 

1.08 

10.  5 

Table  XXV  is  a  condensed  statement  of  the  quality  of  the  handwriting 
of  the  system  of  grades  and  buildings. 

For  instance,  the  first  item  in  Table  XXV  reads  thus:  In  the  second 
grade  in  the  Cleveland  School  five  samples  were  collected.  Two  of  these 
are  graded  7,  one  is  graded  9,  and  two  are  graded  10,  on  the  Thorndike 
scale.  The  second  item  reads  thus:  In  the  second  grade  of  the  Franklin 
School  20  samples  were  collected.  Of  these  one  is  graded  5,  three  6,  eight 
7,  six  8,  and  two  9.  The  average  for  this  grade  is  7.25,  the  average 
deviation  .75,  and  the  variability  10.3  per  cent. 

In  computing  the  central  tendencies  and  the  variability  the  Courtis 
Manual  is  followed.  Where  there  were  less  than  15  samples  presented  from 
one  class  the  average  is  not  calculated.  The  individual  error  in  grading  is 
about  3  per  cent.  For  instance,  the  Franklin  second-grade  average  is 
7.25.  But  when  the  graders  grade  these  a  second  time  they  will  vary 
inside  3  per  cent.  They  may  be  1  Vz  per  cent  above  or  1  ys  per  cent  below. 
1%  per  cent  of  7.25  is  .11,  so  the  average  of  the  grade  lies  between 
7.25  and  .11  and  7.25,  or  between  7.36  and  7.14.  This  means  that  in 
estimating  the  Maplewood  and  Morris  second  grades,  one  of  which  is 
7.70  and  the  other  7.65,  they  should  be  judged  as  approximately  equal  in 
quality  because  of  the  probability  of  individual  error  in  grading. 

Bearing  this  in  mind,  it  will  be  noted  that  there  is  practically  no 
change  in  quality  between  the  seventh  and  eighth  grades.  It  will  be  ob- 
served, also,  that  there  are  a  few  classes  conspicuously  above  or  below 
the  average.  The  Sumner  fourth  grade  is  the  most  conspicuous  deviation, 
since  the  children  stand  in  quality  almost  at  the  seventh-  and  eighth- 
grade  averages. 

There  is  a  noticeable  variation  between  the  best  and  poorest  classes  in 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN. 


99 


each  grade.  For  instance,  in  the  Sumner  third  grade  the  average  is 
9.35,  while  in  the  Maplewood  third  grade  the  average  is  only  7.89,  and 
in  the  Sumner  fourth  grade  the  average  is  10.32,  while  in  the  Morris 
School  the  average  for  the  fourth  grade  is  7.65.  Similar  extremes  will 
be  found  in  each  grade. 

In  selecting  the  kind  of  handwriting  to  judge,  the  simplest  case  was 
taken — that  of  best  handwriting.  No  attention  was  paid  to  speed.  The 
object  was  to  discover  how  well  the  children  had  learned  to  form  the 
letters. 

TABLE  XXVI. 
A  condensed  statement  of  totals  for  the  Leavenworth  Schools  by  grades. 


4fc- 

GRADE. 

Average. 

Average 
deviation. 

Vari- 
ability. 

Number  of 
samples. 

II  

7.67 

.77 

10.0% 

173 

HI       *                   

8.03 

.98 

12.2% 

191 

IV 

8  93 

1.32 

14.7% 

205 

y 

9.15 

1.06 

11.6% 

219 

VI       

9.69 

1.03 

10.6% 

208 

VII     

10.40 

1.11 

10.7% 

200 

VIII         

10.34 

1.09 

10.5% 

148 

TABLE  XXVII. 
A  condensed  statement  of  totals  for  five  Missouri  cities  of  about 

10,000  population. 
(These  are  midyear  samples  collected  between  February  1  and  February  15,   1914.) 


GRADE. 

Average. 

Average 
deviation. 

Vari- 
ability. 

Number  of 
samples. 

II.:  ."  

7.70 

1.3 

16% 

387 

Ill  

8.43 

1.5 

17% 

333 

'  IV 

9.22 

1.6 

17% 

468 

y 

9.44 

1.3 

14% 

337 

VI 

9.82 

1.3 

13% 

306 

VII  

10.62 

1.3 

12% 

328 

VIII  

10.72 

1.1 

9% 

197 

Table  XXVII  was  not  prepared  by  the  same  graders  as  were  Tables 
XXV  and  XXVI,  and  we  do  not  know  accurately  how  great  individual 
error  may  arise  because  of  this.  But  our  opinion  is  that  we  are  justified 
in  saying  that  the  handwriting  of  the  Leavenworth  school  children  is  not 
conspicuously  better  nor  conspicuously  worse  than  that  of  the  children 
in  the  Missouri  systems  studied. 

It  should  be  noted,  again,  however,  that  within  the  system  the  grading 
was  done  by  the  same  individuals,  and  that,  as  said  above,  the  individual 
error  is  not  greater  than  3  per  cent. 


100  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

RECOMMENDATIONS.  * 

Only  one  recommendation  is  to  be  made.  The  supervisory  force  should 
investigate  classes  conspicuous  for  good  or  for  poor  writing  to  ascertain 
the  cause  of  each.  In  all  probability  in  the  high-grade  classes  devices. are 
used  which  should  be  made  known  to  all  the  teachers  in  the  system,  and 
particularly  to  those  which  have  conspicuously  low  class  averages. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  t-EAVENWoaTfi^KAN.      101 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

HISTORY  AND  CIVICS. 

Walter  R.  Smith. 
THE   COURSE   OF   STUDY. 

THE  study  of  history  in  the  grades  is  begun  with  the  reading  of 
Gordy's  Beginnings  of  American  History  in  Europe  in  the  seventh  grade. 
The  aim  is  to  correlate  it  with  literature  and  reading.  In  addition  to  the 
above,  there  is  outlined  for  the  last  two  months  of  the  seventh  grade: 
Geography,  history  and  government  of  Kansas;  books — Tarr  and 
McMurry's  Advanced  Geography,  Supplement  on  Kansas;  Arnold's 
Civics  and  Citizenship,  Local  and  State  Government,  pages  1-153.  About 
fifty  to  ninety  minutes  per  day  for  two  months  is  divided  between  three 
studies  of  Kansas — geography,  civics,  and  history — which,  if  divided 
equally,  would  mean  about  thirteen  recitations  on  Kansas  history  based 
upon  the  above  outline.  In  the  eighth  grade  history  and  citizenship  is 
made  one  of  the  four  major  studies.  Foster's  History  of  the  United 
States  and  Arnold's  Civics  and  Citizenship  are  used  as  texts. 

Unfortunately  the  grade  teacher  in  Kansas  is  bound  down  to  a  state 
text  which  she  is  expected  to  teach.  This  is  not  the  fault  of  the  Leav- 
en worth  teachers;  it  is  their  misfortune.  The  history  is  a  fairly  good 
compilation,  but  is  not  discriminating  and  inspiring.  Facts  and  events 
are  doled  out  with  a  measuring  vessel  rather  than  organized  "around 
great  central  facts  bearing  directly  on  the  destiny  of  our  country,"  as 
demanded,  rightfully,  for  seventh-grade  work. 

For  this  reason  it  is  hard  for  the  most  earnest  teacher  to  break  away 
from  the  traditional  equivalence  of  historical  facts.  It  is  greatly  to  be 
desired — in  fact  it  is  necessary — if  history  is  to  retain  its  importance  in 
the  curriculum,  that  it  be  brought  up  to  date.  Ancient,  irrelevant  and 
unimportant  facts  and  events  must  be  relegated  to  the  junk  pile  along 
with  antiquated  machinery,  curio  museums,  and  ornamental  offices  and 
titles.  The  past  must  be  linked  to  the  present,  and  historical  study  must 
be  made  to  center  about  present  problems.  If  colonial  history  is  im- 
portant, the  history  of  the  present  Mexican  imbroglio  or  the  initiative 
and  referendum  or  the  political  advancement  of  woman  is  no  less  so,  and 
history  must  establish  its  right  to  remain  in  the  curriculum  by  proving 
its  everyday  connection  with  the  life  of  the  boy  and  the  girl. 

CLASSROOM   WORK. 

In  regard  to  the  actual  teaching  of  history,  it  may  be  said  that  every 
history  teacher  in  the  grades  showed  earnestness,  careful  preparation, 
good  control  of  the  pupils,  and  a  sufficient  knowledge  of  the  subject. 
Three  of  them  were  principals  and  the  others  showed  virile  personalities. 
All  were  trained  and  experienced  teachers.  Most  of  them  were  able  to 
get  results — the  results  aimed  at.  Any  great  improvement,  there- 
fore, must  come  from  a  revision  in  the  point  of  view  or  aim  of  history 
teaching. 


102  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

Most  of  the  pupils  were  interested.  They  were  getting  the  facts  that 
would  enable  them  to  pass  a  good  examination  on  the  text.  So  far  as 
knowing  the  traditional  amount  of  history  is  concerned,  they  would  not 
be  found  wanting.  Not  only  that,  but  in  addition  they  were  getting  good 
training  along  certain  lines.  Every  teacher  asked  topical  questions. 
Few  of  the  categorical  queries  frequently  propounded  were  heard.  Pu- 
pils were  required  to  talk  to  a  subject,  and  many  of  them  did  it  well. 

Also,  every  teacher  showed  some  resourcefulness  in  getting  together 
supplementary  materials.  Maps,  charts,  pictures,  etc.,  were  plentiful. 
Many  pupils  showed  they  were  doing  supplementary  reading,  and  they 
were  allowed  to  use  this  material  freely.  Some  teachers,  however,  did 
not  seem  to  stimulate  this  sort  of  work  as  much  as  good  teaching  de- 
mands. Also,  some  teachers  failed  to  show  skill  in  using  materials  at 
hand.  For  instance,  one  teacher  showed  a  series  of  illustrative  pictures 
to  a  class  of  about  fifteen  pupils.  They  were  well  explained,  and  in- 
teresting things  said  about  them,  but  they  were  held  before  the  class  in 
such  a  way  that  only  about  five  of  the  fifteen  could  see  them,  and  by  the 
time  they  were  well  started  down  the  line  for  inspection  a  new  explana- 
tion was  being  given,  and  most  of  the  pupils  had  lost  both  connection  and 
interest.  Commendable  preparation  was  thus  lost  in  poor  teaching  tech- 
nique, and  the  lesson  thereby  rendered  perfunctory.  There  was  likewise 
in  some  cases  a  tendency  to  outline  the  subject  to  death.  An  outline  is 
a  logical  contrivance  that  may  have  good  or  bad  effects  upon  youthful 
students.  It  is  especially  valuable  for  review  work;  but  too  much 
mechanism  not  only  destroys  interest,  it  blights  thinking.  One  teacher 
placed  an  elaborate  outline  of  the  text  on  the  board,  quite  suggestive  to 
a  mature  person,  and  required  it  to  be  copied.  Next  day  the  pupils  used 
these  outlines  in  their  open  notebooks  before  them,  and  were  called  upon 
to  recite  upon  topic  1,  topic  2,  and  so  on.  The  result  was  inevitable.  A 
study  that  ought  to  arouse  interest  and  enthusiasm  was  dulled,  and  a 
bright,  conscientious  and  hard-working  teacher  was  burying  her  subject 
in  mechanical  routine.  With  the  same  ability,  patience  and  effort  di- 
rected toward  a  better  end,  live  problems  treated  historically,  this 
teacher  would  have  a  wide-awake  class,  getting  an  idea  of  the  intense 
human  interest  bound  up  with  past  life,  and  forming  habits  of  his- 
torical investigation  that  would  later  function  repeatedly  in  citizenship. 

LACK   OF   SOCIAL  GROUP   WORK. 

One  other  point  needs  mention.  Every  teacher  asked  topical  ques- 
tions, and  generally  discriminating  ones,  but  the  pupils  recited  to  the 
teacher.  And  in  most  cases  it  was  an  individual  recitation.  Few  teachers 
showed  enough  effort  to  make  the  topic  social;  that  is,  to  hold  every 
pupil  responsible  for  thinking  of  the  topic  under  discussion.  This  in- 
dividual recitation  was  doubtless  made  necessary  by  the  large  number 
of  topics  discussed.  But  that  is  the  difficulty.  The  number  ought  to  be 
reduced  by  eliminating  the  minor  ones.  The  best  result  of  history  teach- 
ing lies  in  developing  thinking  ability,  judgment.  This  can  not  be  done 
by  moving  rapidly  over  a  succession  of  topics.  The  subject  discussed 
should  be  a  class  subject,  with  all  pupils  ready,  and,  if  possible,  anxious 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      103 

to  contribute.  This  calls  for  cross-questioning,  too  little  of  which  was 
observable. 

Cultivation  of  thinking  habits  and  evaluative  judgment  depends  upon 
concentrating  all  the  force  of  the  mind  on  a  specific  topic  and  holding  it 
there  as  long  as  possible.  Instead  of  doing  this  some  teachers  were 
observed  to  explain  a  pupil's  difficulty  as  soon  as  it  appeared,  when  the 
class  might  well  have  worked  it  out  together,  thus  conserving  attention 
and  stimulating  initiative. 

Tested  by  the  five  points  used  by  the  Staff  in  judging  the  effects  of 
teaching  upon  the  pupils,  it  may  be  stated  that  three  and  five,  i.  e., 
organization  and  acquisition,  were  quite  up  to  or  above  standard.  Train- 
ing in  evaluation  was  'made  difficult  by  following  too  definitely  an  undis- 
criminating  text.  Initiative  was  also  stifled  for  that  reason,  but  could  be 
developed  by  emphasizing  more  fully  current  events  studied  critically — 
not  recited  incidentally — and  a  freer-use  of  supplementary  topical  study 
and  class  discussions.  Scientific  effort  at  motivation  was  too  generally 
lacking,  and  strong  personal  leadership  was  necessary  to  maintain  in- 
terest in  subject  matter  which  too  few  of  the  pupils  could  connect  with 
everyday  living. 

RECOMMENDATIONS. 

1.  The  curriculum  needs  revision  with  the  idea  of  eliminating  useless 
materials  and  emphasizing  dominating  events.     An  interesting  and  im- 
portant topic  should  be  given  plenty  of  time  at  the  expense  of  omitting 
much  material  now  taught. 

2.  The  amount  of  colonial  history  taught  should  be  reduced  one-half 
at  least,  and  the  time  thus  gained  be  spent  on  the  very  recent  past. 

3.  TJie  textbook   should  be  made  merely   a  guide,   and  the  teachers 
should  work  with  the  pupils  in  studying  history  rather  than  in  having 
them  recite  history. 

4.  Current  events  should  be  studied  as  a  part  of  history  work,  not 
recited  incidentally.     Present-day  problems  should  be  introduced  on  the 
most    suggestive    occasions,    traced    to    their    historical    beginning,    and 
studied   at  the   psychological   time,   regardless   of  the  historical   period 
placed  in  the  school  program. 

5.  Whenever  possible,  a  question  should  be  made  a  class  topic,  and 
a  pupil's  recitation  should  be  not  only  to  the  teacher  but  to  the  class  as 
a  social  group. 

6.  The  teachers   should  work   out  a  better  point  of  view  by  wider 
historical  reading  and  study,  rather  than  put  more  specific  effort  and 
mechanical  preparation  into  their  lessons. 

CIVICS. 

As  before  mentioned,  the  study  of  civics  is  begun  during  the  last  two 
months  of  the  seventh  year.  The  first  one  hundred  and  fifty  pages  of 
Miss  Arnold's  Civics  and  Citizenship  are  studied  in  connection  with  the 
geography  and  history  of  Kansas.  This  is  a  study  of  local  and  state 
government,  and  only  one  class  was  visited.  This  was  a  well-conducted 
class  by  a  superb  drillmaster,  and  from  the  standpoint  approached  was 
above  criticism.  There  appeared  to  the  writer,  however,  to  be  a  little 


104  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

overstressing  of  pure  memory  work,  and  too  little  evidence  of  class  re- 
search and  visitation  to  local  institutions.  The  teacher  was  quite  evi- 
dently instructing  the  class  rather  than  leading  it  in  civics  study. 

In  the  eighth  grade  the  national  government  is  taken  up  when  the 
history  class  reaches  the  constitutional  convention  of  1787.  The  remain- 
ing part  of  Arnold's  Civics  and  Citizenship  is  used  as  a  text.  The  date 
of  the  Survey  permitted  the  observation  of  only  one  class.  This  showed 
the  same  excellent  drill  on  subjects  sometimes  too  far  removed  from  the 
interests  of  most  of  the  pupils.  Some  of  the  old  tendency  to  teach 
constitutional  law  rather  than  actual  government  appeared,  although 
an  effort  to  stimulate  political  reading  was  evident.  The  only  suggestion 
the  writer  can  offer  is  that  a  constant  effort  be  made  to  build  upon 
what  the  child  is  interested  in  and  knows.  This  necessitates  a  concrete 
study  of  local  civic  affairs,  a  careful  study  of  current  events  in  relation 
to  general  governmental  problems,  and  the  placing  of  stress  upon  actual 
government  rather  than  constitutional  interpretation. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVEN  WORTH,  KAN.      105 


CHAPTER  XV. 

HOUSEHOLD  ARTS. 

Ella  V.  Dobl»s. 
THE   COURSE   OF    STUDY. 

BEGINNING  with  the  fifth  grade,  handwork  for  girls  in  the  Leavenworth 
Public  Schools  deals  with  problems  in  household  arts.  Eighty  minutes 
per  week  are  devoted  to  this  subject. 

In  the  fifth  and  sixth  grades  sewing  is  taught  by  the  regular  grade 
teacher  under  the  direction  of  the  supervisor  of  household  arts.  The  first 
work  consists  in  the  making  of  conveniences  for  sewing,  including  needle- 
case,  pincushion,  and  bag  to  hold  wort,  on  which  the  elementary  stitches 
are  learned.  These  stitches  are  applied  later  to  articles  of  wearing 
apparel,  each  girl  making  a  complete  suit  of  underwear  for  herself.  In 
fifth  grades  working  alone,  the  practice  may  be  applied  to  the  dressing 
of  dolls. 

In  the  seventh  and  eighth  grades  the  work  is  directly  in  charge  of  the 
special  teachers,  and  the  classes  are  held  in  the  High  School.  In  the 
seventh  grade  a  cooking  outfit  consisting  of  apron,  towels,  holders,  etc.,  is 
made.  This  is  followed  by  a  princess  slip  or  simple  dress.  Some  study 
and  discussion  of  the  textile  materials  and  their  values,  cost  and  care 
accompanies  the  lessons  in  sewing.  The  making  of  individual  garments 
and  articles  to  be  used  later  by  the  maker  furnishes  a  motive  usually 
strong  enough  to  hold  the  interest  of  the  worker.  There  is  considerable 
scope  for  individuality  in  the  choice  of  color,  style  and  minor  details  of 
the  problem. 

In  the  eighth  grade  cooking  is  begun.  The  aim  of  the  course  is  to  give 
the  students  an  insight  into  the  broad  underlying  principles  of  house- 
keeping, and  an  acquaintance  with  the  preparation  and  food  value  of 
some  common  food  materials.  The  points  to  be  emphasized  include  such 
practical  problems  as  the  making  of  fires,  a  study  of  the  mechanism  of 
the  stove  and  the  regulation  of  drafts,  and  the  regulation  of  fuel  gas. 
Much  emphasis  is  placed  upon  sanitation.  Order  and  cleanliness  in  such 
everyday  problems  as  the  washing  of  dishes  and  dish  towels  and  the 
care  of  kitchen  sink  and  garbage  can  receive  daily  attention. 

Lessons  in  cookery  offer  exceptional  opportunity  for  training  in 
habits  of  promptness  and  system,  since  each  lesson,  with  a  few  excep- 
tions, is  a  complete  unit.  In  the  eighty  minutes  allowed  to  the  lesson 
each  pupil  must  receive  instruction  in  the  lesson  for  the  day,  select  her 
materials,  prepare  and  cook  the  dish  assigned  to  her,  wash  her  utensils 
and  return  them  to  their  proper  places,  and  leave  the  laboratory  in  per- 
fect order  for  the  next  class.  Some  pupils,  undoubtedly,  receive  their 
first  suggestions  of  systematic  housekeeping  in  the  school  laboratory. 

The  study  of  food  materials  and  their  values  includes  a  study  of  the 
chemical  changes  caused  by  cooking  and  a  comparison  of  the  relative 
values  of  various  ways  of  preparing  common  foods;  as,  for  example, 


106  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

hard-  and  soft-boiled  and  fried  eggs.  The  purpose  is  to  give  each  worker 
some  definite  principles  upon  which  to  work,  that  she  may  not  guess  at 
methods  and  happen  upon  success  or  failure,  but  work  with  intelligence 
and  certainty.  The  time  to  be  devoted  to  the  subject  in  school  is  in- 
sufficient to  give  the  practice  necessary  to  develop  skill  in  any  depart- 
ment. All  that  can  be  expected  of  such  a  course  is  that  it  shall  suggest 
right  methods  of  procedure  which  may  be  practiced  in  the  home,  and  in 
this  the  course,  as  given  in  Leavenworth,  seems  to  be  very  successful. 
To  what  extent  this  practice  is  carried  on  in  the  home,  the  teacher  can 
judge  only  by  the  general  attitude  of  the  pupil  and  by  occasional  re- 
ports from  parents.  If  some  satisfactory  plan  of  cooperation  between 
home  and  school  could  be  worked  out,  it  would,  without  doubt,  greatly 
increase  the  efficiency  of  both  factors.  In  various  parts  of  the  country 
this  problem  is  receiving  attention  and  helpful  suggestions  are  coming 
from  many  quarters. 

RECOMMENDATIONS. 

The  writer  suggests,  also,  a  closer  correlation  between  the  depart- 
ments of  drawing  and  domestic  art.  One  of  the  most  urgent  needs  of  the 
present  times  is  definite  instruction  in  costume  design.  Girls  need  to  be 
taught  not  only  how  to  make  their  own  clothes  well,  but  also  how  to 
select  tasteful  and  becoming  styles.  They  need  some  better  basis  for 
selection  than  the  whims  and  fads  of  fashion.  If  such  instruction  is  to 
be  of  general  benefit,  it  must  be  given  in  the  upper  grades  of  the  ele- 
mentary school,  since  so  many  pupils  drop  out  before  they  reach  the 
High  School. 

There  is  definite  need  of  the  same  kind  of  instruction  in  the  applica- 
tion of  art  to  house-furnishing,  that  the  rising  generation  may  appr,e- 
ciate  that  the  poor  home  need  not  be  bare  and  ugly,  nor  the  rich  home 
overcrowded  with  ostentatious  display.  The  furnishing  of  a  miniature 
house  offers  a  valuable  problem  for  both  art  and  handwork,  and  one  in 
which  enthusiasm  is  sure  to  run  high.  Every  opportunity  for  satisfying 
real  needs  in  a  suitable  and  beautiful  way  should  be  turned  to  account. 
For  example,  the  furnishing  of  a  rest  room  or  a  social  room,  the  making 
of  draperies  or  of  other  needs  for  the  school  office,  furnish  real  problems 
of  vital  interest. 

The  writer  finds  little  to  criticize  and  much  to  commend  in  the  work 
in  household  arts,  and  the  suggestions  here  offered  point  to  extension 
rather  than  modification  of  the  work  being  done.  The  courses  are  well 
organized  in  line  with  the  approved  practice  of  the  day  and  are  all  well 
carried  out,  so  far  as  it  is  possible  to  judge  from  a  brief  observation. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      107 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

HYGIENE  AND  MEDICAL  INSPECTION. 

Water  K.  Smith. 
THE   TEACHING   OF    HYGIENE. 

PHYSIOLOGY,  like  the  other  sciences,  had  gradually  to  force  its  way 
down  through  the  school  curriculum  from  the  universities.  The  result 
was,  as  in  the  case  of  the  other  sciences,  that  during  its  early  public- 
school  stages  it  was  burdened  with  technical  details  and  a  scientific 
nomenclature  that  removed  it  from  active  influence  in  the  thinking  of  the 
boy  and  girl. 

The  early  physiology  was  almost  p«rely  scientific.  It  came  from  the 
universities  and  the  preparatory  studies  of  a  medical  course.  First  it 
was  concerned  chiefly  with  the  anatomy  of  the  human  body.  Then  it 
dealt  largely  with  the  chemistry  of  organic  action.  Gradually  hygiene 
was  introduced.  It  was  a  mere  incident,  however,  in  the  study  most  of  :is 
were  put  through.  We  studied  the  bones  and  muscles  and  the  circula- 
tory and  nervous  systems  for  information.  But  recent  changes  have  de- 
manded that  the  hygiene  of  the  human  system  be  made  the  important  part 
of  the  study.  The  names  of  the  bones  and  nerves  and  the  nature  of  the 
circulation  and  the  digestive  process  are  subordinated  to  the  teaching  of 
what  to  do  in  case  of  an  injury,  how  to  prevent  the  spread  of  infection, 
and  how  to  eat  and  to  live  in  order  to  preserve  organic  efficiency.  Physi- 
ology and  anatomy  are  used  only  as  a  basis  for  teaching  the  art  of  pre- 
serving health  and  building  up  strength. 

In  Leavenworth  the  transition  is  complete  and  the  newer  point  of  view 
prevails.  The  primary  aim  is  as  it  should  be — to  teach  health  rather 
than  to  instill  scientific  knowledge.  But  in  making  this  transition,  hy- 
giene and  physiology  have  been  dropped  from  the  list  of  real  studies. 
They  have  become  merely  "incidental  minors" ;  and  while  better  results  are 
obtained  than  with  the  old  scientific  physiology,  it  is  quite  plain  that  this 
subordination  lowers  the  standard  of  work  that  might  be  done.  The 
writer  believes  that  at  some  point  in  the  grades  room  should  be  made  in 
the  curriculum  for  hygiene  as  a  "major"  study.  Its  importance  in  the 
scheme  of  life  makes  it  worthy  of  special  emphdsis.  Without  the  inspira- 
tion of  medical  examinations  or  of  a  nurse,  however,  it  is  evident  that  in 
most  cases,  with  all  the  other  specific  demands  upon  a  teacher,  hygiene 
would  receive  very  incidental  attention.  This  is  true  not  merely  in 
Leavenworth;  it  is  true  under  similar  circumstances  everywhere,  and 
must  so  remain  until  the  health  work  of  the  schools  is  put  upon  an  or- 
ganized basis. 

CLASSROOM    WORK. 

The  regular  study  of  physiology  and  hygiene  is  taken  up  as  science 
reading  at  the  middle  of  the  seventh  year.  Krohn  and  Crumbine's 
Graded  Lessons  in  Physiology  and  Hygiene  is  used  as  a  text,  and  supple- 
mentary reading  is  added.  Two  twenty-five-minute  periods  per  week 
during  the  second  half  of  the  seventh  year  and  all  of  the  eighth  year  are 


108  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

given  to  the  study.  In  the  recitations  visited  the  text  was  read  aloud, 
without  preparation,  paragraph  by  paragraph.  After  the  reading  some 
pupil  was  asked  to  summarize  the  material  of  the  paragraph.  Then 
followed  questions  and  general  discussion.  The  pupils  came  to  the  text, 
which  is  an  excellent  one,  with  open  and  unsated  minds,  and  were  inter- 
ested in  the  reading.  Teachers  were  working  with  the  pupils  rather  than 
for  them.  By  this  free-and-easy  method  discussions  of  health  and  sani- 
tary matters  were  stimulated.  Occasional  reviews  are  given,  one  of  which 
was  observed.  In  this  the  pupils  showed  not  only  real  interest  in  the 
subject  but  knowledge  of  it. 

This  class  and  social  study  led  the  pupil  and  teacher  to  get  together 
in  more  effective  team  work  than  in  the  set  recitation.  In  many  ways  the 
best  teaching  the  writer  observed  in  the  whole  system  was  in  these 
classes.  Shortened  periods  and  lack  of  provision  for  outside  preparation, 
however,  necessarily  prevented  problem  study  or  extended  laboratory 
work.  Yet  as  a  whole  it  may  be  stated  that  the  evil  effect  of  subordinat- 
ing the  study  of  hygiene  to  less  fundamentally  important  ones  like  formal 
arithmetic  and  technical  grammar  was  minimized,  if  not  nullified,  by  the 
excellence  of  the  pupil-teacher  team  work  and  the  generally  effective 
teaching  found. 

MEDICAL   INSPECTION. 

While  the  work  in  physiology  and  hygiene  given  was  properly  di- 
rected towards  a  study  of  health  and  its  requirements,  there  was  a  com- 
plete omission  of  any  effort  at  medical  inspection.*  This  was  not  due  to 
any  lack  of  vision  on  the  part  of  the  school  authorities.  Its  need  was 
recognized  by  the  superintendent  and  principals  and  its  adoption  recom- 
mended. But  as  in  many  other  cities,  the  board  was  slow  to  act  and 
the  community  indifferent  or  hostile. 

This  indifferent  or  hostile  public  attitude,  which  is  not  peculiar  to 
Leavenworth,  makes  it  worth  while  to  discuss  briefly  the  general  propo- 
sition of  medical  work  in  the  schools. 

While  medical  inspection  of  school  children  is  new  in  the  United 
States,  it  has  passed  beyond  the  experimental  stage.  It  is  "a  movement 
national  in  scope  in  England,  France,  Germany,  Norway,  Sweden, 
Austria,  Switzerland,  Belgium,  Japan,  Australia  and  Tasmania.  It  is 
found  in  the  more  important  cities  in  Denmark,  Russia,  Bulgaria,  Egypt, 
Canada,  Mexico,  the  Argentine  Republic  and  Chili.  In  the  United  States 
regularly  organized  systems  are  in  force  [1911]  in  nearly  one-half  of  the 
cities  [443],  while  a  beginning  has  been  made  in  nearly  three-fourths  of 
them."i 

Dental  inspection  is  carried  on  in  nearly  200  cities,  and  102  cities 
employ  school  nurses.  Medical  inspection  laws  have  been  passed  in 
twenty  states.  The  movement  in  this  country  started  in  Boston  just 
twenty  years  ago,  although  it  was  then  half  a  century  old  in  European 

*  This  statement  should  be  qualified  as  follows :  On  entrance  to  the  schools  the  parents 
of  the  child  are  required  to  fill  out  a  blank  stating  whether  or  not  the  child  has  defective 
sight,  hearing,  throat  and  teeth.  This  information  is  filed,  and  when  defects  are  remedied 
a  note  is  made  of  it. 

1.  Gulick  and  Ayers,  Medical  Inspection  of  Schools.  Published  by  Russell  Sage 
Foundation,  1913. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      109 

states.     No  other  educational  movement  has  ever  spread  so  rapidly  or 
justified  itself  more  fully. 

The  argument  for  medical  inspection  is  definite  and  conclusive.  The 
case  is  summed  up  by  Dr.  A.  H.  Hogarth,  an  English  specialist,  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  state,  the  school  and  the  child:2 

ADVANTAGES   TO   THE    STATE. 

"The  state  requires  a  physical  census  of  the  children  for  the  discovery 
of  unrecognized  defects,  partly  with  a  view  to  the  improvement  of  the 
national  physique,  and  partly  with  a  view  to  the  preparation  of  all 
children  for  school  life.  It  is  also  a  national  duty  to  arrange  for  the 
classification  of  children  according  to  their  mental  capacities,  and  to 
adapt  the  educational  system  to  the  requirements  of  the  several  groups 
of  children,  in  order  to  diminish  the  present  economic  wastage  of  mis- 
directed educational  efforts." 

Messrs.  Gulick  and  Ayers  present  the  following  pertinent  statements 
regarding  the  case  for  the  state : 

"The  jurisdiction  of  the  state  in  assuming  the  function  of  education 
and  in  making  that  education  compulsory  is  to  insure  its  own  preserva- 
tion and  efficiency.  .  .  .  But  the  well-being  of  a  state  is  as  much 
dependent  upon  the  strength,  health  and  productive  capacity  of  its  mem- 
bers as  it  is  upon  their  knowledge  and  intelligence.  In  order  that  it  may 
insure  the  efficiency  of  its  citizens,  the  state  through  its  compulsory  educa- 
tion enactments  requires  its  youth  to  pursue  certain  studies  which  ex- 
perience has  proved  necessary  to  secure  efficiency.  Individual  efficiency, 
however,  rests  not  alone  upon  education  or  intelligence,  but  is  equally 
dependent  on  physical  health  and  vigor.  Hence  if  the  state  may  make 
mandatory  training  in  intelligence,  it  may  also  command  training  to 
secure  physical  soundness  and  capacity." 

ADVANTAGES   TO   THE   SCHOOL. 

"It  is  the  duty  of  the  local  authorities  to  protect  the  individual  against 
communicable  diseases  in  school,  to  supervise  school  buildings,  and  to  se- 
cure healthy  surroundings  for  the  school  child." 

Gulick  and  Ayers  state  in  addition: 

"Teachers  and  parents  are  beginning  to  realize  that  the  problem  of 
the  pupil  with  defective  eyesight  may  be  quite  as  important  to  the  com- 
munity as  that  of  the  pupil  who  has  some  contagious  disease.  A  child 
who  is  unable  to^see  distinctly  is  placed  in  a  school  where  physical  defects 
are  unrecognized  and  disregarded;  headaches,  eyestrain  and  failure 
follow  all  his  efforts  at  study.  .  .  .  Neither  he  nor  his  teacher  knows 
what  is  the  matter,  but  he  soon  finds  it  impossible  to  keep  pace  with  his 
companions,  and  becoming  discouraged,  he  falls  behind  in  the  unequal 
race. 

"In  no  better  plight  is  the  child  suffering  from  enlarged  tonsils  and 
adenoids,  which  prevent  proper  nasal  breathing  and  compel  him  to  keep 
his  mouth  open  in  order  to  breathe.  Perhaps  one  of  his  troubles  is  deaf- 
ness. .  .  .  Public  schools  are  a  public  trust.  When  a  parent  de- 
livers his  child  to  their  care  he  has  a  right  to  insist  that  the  child  under 
the  supervision  of  the  school  authorities  shall  be  safe  from  harm  and  shall 
be  handed  back  to  him  in  at  least  as  good  condition  as  when  it  entered 
school." 

2.    Medical  Inspection  of  Schools,  p.  78. 


110  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

ADVANTAGES   TO   THE   CHILD. 

"Owing  to  ignorance,  neglect,  or  apathy  on  the  part  of  parents,  it  be- 
comes a  requirement  of  the  merest  humanity  to  bring  medical  aid  and 
special  educational  methods  within  the  reach  of  the  individual  child." 

To  which  may  be  added  from  Gulick  and  Ayers : 

"The  child  himself  has  a  right  to  claim  protection.  The  child  has  a 
claim  upon  the  state  and  the  state  a  claim  upon  the  child  which  demands 
recognition.  Education  without  health  is  useless.  It  would  be  better  to 
sacrifice  the  education  if,  in  order  to  attain  it,  the  child  must  lay  down  his 
good  health  as  the  price.  Education  must  comprehend  the  whole  man,  and 
the  whole  man  is  built  fundamentally  on  what  he  is  physically."  . 

Also: 

"Communities  are  seeing  the  whole  matter  in  a  new  light.  Gradually 
they  are  beginning  to  ask,  not  whether  they  can  afford  to  take  steps  to 
safeguard  in  schools  the  welfare  of  their  children,  but  whether  they  can 
afford  not  to  take  such  steps.  The  realization  is  dawning  that  it  is  un- 
businesslike to  count  carefully  the  cost  of  the  school  physician,  but  to 
disregard  the  cost  of  death  and  disease,  of  wrecked  hopes  and  dependent 
families."  • 

Additional  facts  are  brought  out,  to  show  the  need  of  medical  in- 
spection, by  Dr.  Louis  W.  Rapeer  in  a  conservative  statement  of  national 
and  school  health  losses  in  the  United  States  each  year.  According  to  his 
analysis,  based  upon  excellent  authorities,  670,000  persons  die  each  year 
of  reasonably  preventable  diseases,  entailing  an  economic  loss  of  over  a 
billion  dollars.  There  are  constantly  about  3,000,000  persons  seriously  ill 
in  the  United  States,  largely  of  preventable  diseases,  causing  an  economic 
loss  of  another  billion  dollars.  A  very  large  number  of  other  persons  suf- 
fer from  minor  ailments  which  lower  their  efficiency  and  cause  absence 
from  work,  which  makes  a  further  very  large  economic  loss. 

The  school  health  losses  are  also  shown  to  be  appalling.  Sixty-five 
thousand  school  children  die  each  year,  at  least  40,000  of  reasonably  pre- 
ventable diseases.  In  addition,  ill  health  and  physical  defects  function 
largely  in  causing  about  15  per  cent  of  the  eliminations,  16  per  cent  of 
nonpromotions  and  17  per  cent  of  retardations  of  the  school  children. 

DISEASES   AMONG   SCHOOL   CHILDREN. 

Another  phase  of  the  problem  appears  when  we  examine  the  figures 
showing  the  actual  presence  of  diseased  conditions  among  school  children. 
The  English  inspectors  report  that  80  per  cent  are  suffering  from  de- 
fective teeth,  50  per  cent  are  affected  with  vermin  or  other  parasitic 
conditions,  20  per  cent  have  defective  vision,  and  10  per  cent  are  retarded 
in  their  educational  progress  by  physical  defects  such  as  anemia,  general 
debility,  and  deafness  resulting  from  adenoid  growths  or  discharging  ears. 
Doctors  Gulick  and  Ayers  estimate  that  for  the  United  States,  in  the 
average  city  school  system,  about  65  per  cent  of  the  children  have 
physical  defects  serious  enough  to  warrant  treatment  by  a  physician, 
oculist  or  dentist.  Nearly  85  per  cent  of  all  these  defects  are  those  of 
teeth,  throat,  eyes  and  nose. 

Taking  the  most  serious  of  these  defects — that  of  sight — the  examina- 
tion of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  school  children  has  shown  that  from  one- 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      Ill 

tenth  to  one-fourth  suffer  from  defective  vision  serious  enough  to  inter- 
fere with  efficient  work  and  permanently  to  injure  their  eyes.  Defects  of 
hearing  are  almost  as  serious.  And  "most  important  of  all,  only  a  small 
minority  of  these  defects  of  sight  and  hearing  are  discovered  by  teachers 
or  known  to  them,  to  the  parents  or  to  the  children  themselves." 

Another  fact  to  be  borne  in  mind  is  that  these  defects  are  not  con- 
fined to  the  children  of  the  poor.  They  are  almost  equally  numerous 
among  children  of  well-to-do  parents.  And  in  medical  inspection  where 
follow-up  methods  are  used  in  addition  to  notification  of  parents,  the 
percentage  of  treatments  obtained  is  as  great  among  the  poor  as  among 
other  classes.  Mere  notification  secures  treatment  in  11  to  50  per  cent 
of  the  cases,  while  follow-up  methods  frequently  secure  treatment  in  75 
per  cent  of  the  cases.  In  England  treatment  is  secured  in  20  to  70  per 
cent  of  the  cases,  averaging  about  50fcper  cent. 

THE   SCHOOL   NURSE. 

The  follow-up  methods  can  be  used  effectively  only  where  the  board 
employs  a  school  nurse.  Her  duties  do  not  end  with  the  schoolroom;  they 
merely  begin  there.  The  case  for  the  school  nurse  has  been  well  summed 
up  as  follows  (Gulick  and  Ayers  Medical  Inspection  of  Schools)  : 

"She  is  the  teacher  of  the  parents,  the  pupils,  the  teachers  and  the 
family  in  applied  practical  hygiene.  Her  work  prevents  loss  of  time  on 
the  part  of  the  pupils  and  vastly  reduces  the  number  of  exclusions  for 
contagious  diseases.  She  cures  minor  ailments  in  the  school  and  clinic 
and  furnishes  efficient  aid  in  emergencies.  She  gives  practical  demon- 
strations in  the  home  of  required  treatments,  often  discovering  there  the 
source  of  the  trouble,  which,  if  not  discovered,  would  render  useless  the 
work  of  the  medical  inspector  in  the  school.  The  school  nurse  is  the 
most  efficient  possible  link  between  the  school  and  the  home.  Her  work 
is  immensely  important  in  its  direct  results  and  far-reaching  in  its  in- 
direct influences.  Among  foreign  populations  she  is  a  very  potent  force 
for  Americanization." 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  any  sort  of  medical  program  can  elimi- 
nate all  the  needless  losses  from  death  and  ill  health;  nor  is  it  to  be  ex- 
pected that  any  sort  of  medical  inspection  or  hygienic  development  will 
prevent  all  the  illness  and  death  losses  among  school  children.  The 
enormity  of  the  problem,  however,  should  not  deter  us  from  making  an 
effort.  Germany  and  Sweden  have  succeeded  in  decreasing  these  losses 
much  below  our  own.  England  has  organized  her  efforts  to  build  up  the 
general  health  scientifically.  Every  civilized  nation  is  attacking  the 
problem. 

In  the  United  States  three-fourths  of  our  cities  (722  in  1911)  are 
realizing  the  seriousness  of  the  problem  and  the  greatness  of  the  oppor- 
tunity for  the  schools,  by  making  at  least  a  beginning  in  medical  inspec- 
tion. Leavenworth  can  not  afford  to  lag  behind.  The  need  is  not  less 
than  elsewhere,  nor  the  poverty  of  resources  greater.  A  beginning 
should  be  made  next  year. 

POSSIBILITIES   IN    LEAVENWORTH. 

After  canvassing  the  local  situation,  there  appear  to  be  four  possible 
methods  of  approach :  free  medical  inspection,  the  employment  of  a  part- 
time  or  all-time  physician,  the  nurse-alone  plan,  or  a  combination. 


112  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

In  regard  to  the  first  it  may  be  stated  that  a  few  years  ago  a  proposi- 
tion was  made  by  the  local  medical  society  to  examine  all  pupils  free  of 
charge.  It  was  not  organized,  however,  and  there  was  enough  general 
opposition  to  lead  the  Board  of  Education  to  neglect  or  refuse  the  offer. 
Such  an  arrangement  could  probably  still  be  made.  Inquiries  among 
physicians  indicated  that  they  would  gladly  undertake  it. 

Free  inspection,  however,  can  never  go  far.  Moreover,  it  has  several 
dangers  that  need  to  be  carefully  safeguarded.  Inexperience  and  in- 
efficiency in  the  particular  sort  of  work  required,  professional  jealousy 
and  selfishness,  parental  objections,  and  the  question  of  free  treatments, 
have  sometimes  led  to  trouble.  It  may  not  be  the  best  way  to  begin,  but 
it  is  one  way;  and  once  started  it  is  not  likely  to  stop.  Most  new  school 
enterprises  have  started  in  tentative  and  often  charitable  ways  and  were 
so  managed  until  public  support  could  be  obtained.  If  the  work  were 
started  with  free  inspection  there  is  little  doubt  that  results  could  be 
obtained  which  would  make  the  public  glad  to  pay  for  more  complete  and 
efficient  examination  than  any  free  agency  could  give. 

The  second  method  would  be  to  employ  a  specially  trained  physician 
for  all  of  his  time,  or  two  or  more  part-time  physicians  who  could  give 
one  to  three  hours  a  day  each.  ^A  physician  who  is  expert  in  this  sort  of 
work  is  able  to  command  a  larger  salary  than  the  present  situation 
would  warrant  the  board  paying  in  Leavenworth.  So  regular  physicians 
would  have  to  be  employed  on  part  time.  This  would  be  preferable  to 
free  examinations,  but  would  have  definite  limitations.  Little  remedial 
or  follow-up  work  could  be  attempted,  though  this  is  the  most  valuable 
kind  of  service  medical  organization  can  render  to  the  schools. 

The  nurse-alone  plan  would  be  superior  to  either  of  the  first  two 
mentioned  for  Leavenworth.  A  competent  and  scientifically  trained 
nurse  could  be  employed  as  cheaply  as  the  part-time  physicians.  She 
could  go  from  building  to  building,  making  tentative  examinations,  treat- 
ing incipient  and  simple  cases,  and  recommending  doubtful  cases  to  the 
family  physician.  Some  contagious  and  infectious  diseases  could  then  be 
headed  off  and  certain  epidemics  prevented.  She  could  train  teachers  to 
more  careful  and  expert  observation  and  aid  in  more  prompt  action. 
Cases  could  be  followed  up  by  visitation  to  the  homes  of  some  of  the 
children,  where  parents  could  be  advised  regarding  methods  of  prevent- 
ing the  spread  of  disease  and  of  treating  simple  maladies. 

The  fourth  plan  is  the  only  complete  and  wholly  satisfactory  one.  It 
would  consist  in  the  appointment  of  the  expert  physician,  to  be  aided  by 
a  specially  trained  nurse.  The  physician  could  organize  the  inspection 
and  examination  of  school  children,  advise  the  school  architect  and  Board 
of  Education  regarding  sanitary  matters,  direct  the  teaching  of  hygiene, 
aid  the  physical  director,  and  correlate  all  the  health  agencies  of  the 
schools.  The  nurse  could  aid  in  the  ways  previously  mentioned,  and  is 
particularly  useful  in  making  effective  the  recommendations  of  the  phy- 
sician. This  complete  program  would  be  more  expensive  to  start,  but 
would  more  fully  justify  itself  in  the  end.  Whatever  is  done  at  present 
should  look  forward  to  this  plan  as  an  ideal. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      113 

PLAN   RECOMMENDED. 

After  canvassing  the  local  situation  and  discussing  it  fully  with  other 
members  of  the  Survey  Staff,  the  writer  is  ready  to  recommend  that  for 
next  year  the  nurse-alone  plan  would  probably  be  best  for  Leavenworth. 
The  work  in  hygiene  needs  to  be  organized  fully  and  effectively.  To 
employ  a  physician  with  the  requisite  special  and  technical  training  for 
this  purpose  would  cost  more  than  the  financial  situation  would  warrant 
at  present.  A  nurse  could  make  a  beginning  of  this  organization  and 
enlist  the  aid  of  the  medical  fraternity.  As  the  opportunity  appears, 
medical  examinations  could  be  added  and  the  other  phases  of  school 
hygiene  correlated.  When  experience  has  justified  additional  expendi- 
ture and  knowledge  has  opened  the  way  for  complete  organization,  a 
trained  supervising  physician  can  be  employed  to  coordinate  all  the 
phases  of  school  health  work  and  administer  them  efficiently.  Great 
care,  however,  should  be  shown  in  employing  a  nurse,  since  her  work 
would  be  not  only  technical  but  administrative  and  constructive.  It 
would  not  be  less  important  and  responsible  than  that  of  one  of  the  build- 
ing principals,  and  the  salary  should  be  fixed  accordingly.  This  program 
may  well  be  undertaken  with  the  opening  of  the  autumn  term. 


—8 


114  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

LANGUAGE. 

Minnie  E.  Porter. 

TRAINING  in  the  use  of  language  means  training  in  self-expression. 
The  teaching  of  language  has  taken  on  a  new  and  wider  significance  with 
the  modern  view  of  education — the  development  of  the  individual  child 
through  the  expression  of  self  in  a  social  situation.  A  child  is  the  one 
who  expresses  himself  to  others  through  the  medium  of  language  and 
the  one  to  whom  others  give  expression  of  their  own  impressions  or 
experiences.  A  child  is  both  creator  and  interpreter. 

As  a  reader  or  a  listener  the  child  adds  to  his  life  experience,  with 
its  limitations  of  age  and  circumstances.  But  the  experiences  into  which 
he  enters  imaginatively  through  reading  may  be  none  the  less  vital  than 
those  which  he  lives  in  reality.  It  is  to  these  experiences,  both  real 
and  imaginary,  that  he  desires  to  give  expression.  The  simplest  form  of 
social  expression  for  a  child  is  his  own  language. 

In  this  report  reading  is  considered  in  a  separate  chapter,  but  the 
relation  of  reading  to  the  life  experience  and  the  self-expression  of  the 
child  has  been  constantly  kept  in  mind. 

STANDARDS. 

Motives  for  training  in  the  use  of  language  arise  from  the  language 
needs  of  boys  and  girls.  These  needs  are  real,  not  imaginary.  The 
ability  to  state  his  own  case,  to  make  himself  understood,  to  share  an 
interesting  experience  with  others,  are  real  needs  of  any  pupil.  But  all 
of  these  needs  imply  social  relations.  The  need  of  complying  with  ac- 
cepted standards  of  good  usage  in  the  matter  of  language  is  as  impera- 
tive for  a  boy  as  are  neckties  and  other  matters  of  conventionality  in 
dress.  No  boy  will  wear  a  necktie  tied  in  the  back,  because  he  must 
conform  to  what  is  customary  among  his  mates.  In  the  matter  of  lan- 
guage, the  problem  for  the  teacher  is  one  of  establishing  common  social 
standards  within  a  group  of  immature  pupils. 

With  such  motives  as  a  basis  of  effort  in  the  effective  use  of  language, 
the  pupil  necessarily  acts  upon  his  own  initiative.  The  conditions  of 
effective  expression  demand  that  he  decide  upon  what  he  wishes  to 
express.  Whatever  the  case  may  be,  the  occasion  must  be  a  real  one,  the 
audience  or  reader  a  real  one,  and  the  boy's  idea  must  be  his  own,  if  he 
would  express  himself  clearly  and  forcibly. 

If  the  pupil  is  in  earnest  he  begins  a  process  of  evaluation.  If  his 
idea,  the  statement  of  his  own  case,  is  to  be  made  effective,  he  is  forced 
to  decide  what  to  say  and  what  not  to  say.  This  process  of  evaluation 
is  not  carried  on  successfully  unless  the  reader  or  the  audience  is  taken 
into  consideration. 

The  successful  presentation  of  his  own  case,  or  the  narration  of  a 
story,  is  not  possible  without  organization.  The  pupil  must  decide  upon 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      115 

what  comes  first,  what  is  of  greatest  importance,  and  what  shall  be  the 
conclusion  of  the  whole  matter.  The  simplest  writing  or  speaking,  to 
be  effective,  must  show  consideration  of  beginning,  middle,  and  end. 

THE    TEACHING   OF   LANGUAGE. 

With  these  standards  set  up  for  the  teaching  of  language,  what 
is  the  teacher's  place?  What  is  her  service?  This  teaching  of  lan- 
guage is  not  concerned  with  drill  upon  facts  about  language,  with 
definitions  in  grammar  and  rhetoric,  but  it  is  concerned  with  actual 
doing  as  contrasted  with  acquiring  knowledge  of  facts  about  language. 
Take,  for  example,  the  definition,  "A  sentence  is  a  group  of  words  ex- 
pressing complete  thought."  This  is  a  fact  about  language.  Pupils  of 
Leavenworth  are  being  drilled  upon  this  definition  in  all  grades,  from 
grade  four  to  the  second  year  in  High  School.  Drill  upon  this  definition 
for  six  years  has  not  aroused  a  consciousness  of  the  meaning  of  the  word 
"complete"  as  it  is  applied  to  a  sentence.  With  a  class  of  first-year 
pupils  in  High  School  a  teacher  was  observed  struggling  with  this  diffi- 
cult problem  in  oral  composition.  In  the  actual  doing,  the  problem  is 
simple.  We  decide  to  say  something  about  something,  and  when  we 
have  done  this  thing  there  is  a  consciousness  of  completeness,  of  unity, 
of  a  purpose  fulfilled.  The  definition  of  a  sentence,  the  statement  of  a 
fact  about  language,  has  no  value  apart  from  its  application — the  use 
of  a  sentence  as  a  unit  in  speech.  The  consciousness  of  a  sentence  as 
complete  arises  from  the  use  of  sentences  in  the  real  expression  of 
the  child. 

If  knowledge  of  the  facts  about  language,  including  grammatical 
structure  and  rhetorical  principles,  remains  abstract — cut  off  from  ap- 
plication to  the  pupil's  own  language,  which  is  free  and  spontaneous — 
then  the  teaching  of  language  will  be  termed  in  this  report  formal,  as 
distinguished  from  that  which  is  real  and  vital. 

The  first  essential,  then,  is  the  establishment  of  habits  of  correct  and 
of  effective  expression,  for  the  child  himself,  as  he  is  called  upon  to 
meet  the  social  demands  of  writing  and  speech.  This  standard  is  to-day 
one  which  the  teaching  of  language  has  as  its  goal  in  the  elementary 
school?  This  period  of  learning  by  doing  reaches  to  the  end  of  grade 
six,  which  is  now  looked  upon  as  the  real  transition  between  elementary 
and  secondary  education. 

In  the  program  outlined  for  the  teaching  of  language  in  Leavenworth 
this  purpose  is  emphasized  in  grades  four,  five  and  six.  In  addition, 
the  program  provides  for  a  systematic  study  of  formal  grammar  and 
for  training  in  composition  in  grades  seven  and  eight.  There  is  in 
Leavenworth,  at  present,  a  movement  toward  the  study  of  the  problem 
of  language  teaching  above  grade  six  as  one  which  presents  problems 
more  closely  related  to  those  of  the  High  School  than  to  those  of  the 
elementary  school.  This  report  on  the  teaching  of  language  in  Leaven- 
worth is  based  upon  the  division  at  the  end  of  grade  six. 


116  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

THE   TEACHING  OF  LANGUAGE   IN   GRADES  FOUR,   FIVE  AND   SIX. 

This  report  involves  (1)  an  examination  of  the  program  outlined  for 
these  grades,  (2)  a  study  of  the  methods  of  teaching,  and  (3)  an 
estimate  of  the  results  obtained.  The  program  has  been  examined  for  the 
purpose  of  determining  what  provision  has  been  made  for  training  (1)  in 
the  art  of  self-expression  both  orally  and  in  writing,  (2)  in  the  use  of 
correct  grammatical  forms  as  habits  of  speech,  and  (3)  in  the  knowledge 
of  the  technique  of  the  English  sentence  as  "the  structural  unit  in  the 
use  of  language."  The  methods  of  teaching  have  been  studied  in  the 
written  reports  of  the  teachers,  in  conferences  with  them,  and  in  the 
observation  of  actual  work  of  teachers  in  the  classrooms.  The  results 
obtained  have  been  estimated  by  means  of  a  study  of  the  oral  expression 
of  the  pupils  during  these  observations,  and  by  means  of  an  examination 
of  one  hundred  fifty  compositions  written  by  all  of  the  sixth-grade  pupils 
in  Leavenworth  in  May,  1914. 

The  recommendations  which  are  contained  in  this  report  are  made 
on  the  basis  of  the  study  of  actual  conditions  and  problems.  Owing  to 
the  limitations  of  time  which  have  necessarily  been  placed  upon  these 
observations,  and  to  the  lack  of  comparative  data  upon  which  conclusions 
may  be  based,  this  report  should  be  considered  as  suggestive  rather  than 
conclusive. 

THE   COURSE   OF   STUDY. 

The  examination  of  the  program  outlined  for  the  teaching  of  language 
shows  that  the  state  textbooks,  Scott-Southworth's  Lessons  in  English, 
have  been  made  the  basis  of  the  work — Book  I  in  grades  four  and  five, 
and  Book  II,  pp.  1-78,  in  grade  six.  The  emphasis  in  the  textbooks  is 
placed  upon  the  training  of  children  to  talk  and  to  write  freely  about 
things  which  they  know.  The  outline  in  the  textbook  for  composition 
work  includes  letter-writing,  story-telling,  and  the  recording  of  obser- 
vations made  in  the  study  of  plant  and  animal  life.  A  recommendation 
made  in  the  program  outlined  for  grade  five  reads  as  follows: 

"Never  allow  the  children  to  write  upon  a  subject  until  they  are  full 
of  it.  The  way  to  get  full  of  a  subject  is  by  personal,  active  and  living 
investigations.  This  will  lead  you  out  of  the  schoolhouse  and  into  many 
places  in  and  around  the  city,  but  it  is  the  only  way  to  get  the  best  for 
the  children.  In  such  investigations,  of  course,  you  will  proceed  by  some 
previously  outlined  plan." 

A  provision  has  here  been  made  for  the  communication  of  vital  im- 
pressions and  experiences,  which  are  characterized  by  a  personal  feeling 
for  the  facts  and  the  images  to  which  the  child  desires  to  give  expression. 

The  outline  also  provides  for  training  in  the  conventional  use  of 
language — in  grade  four  as  follows:  the  proper  oral  and  written  use  of 
ordinary  singulars  and  plurals,  possessives,  and  case  forms  of  personal 
pronouns.  In  grade  five  this  drill  is  continued,  and  additional  training  is 
provided  in  the  use  of  singular  and  plural  verb  forms  and  of  the  prin- 
cipal parts  of  ordinary  verbs.  Training  in  the  conventionalities  of  written 
composition  includes  the  use,  by  habit,  of  capitals,  periods,  question  marks, 
quotation  marks,  and  the  comma,  of  address,  word  series,  and  inverted 
phrase. 

In  addition  to  this  provision  for  training  in  the  habitual  use  of  correct 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      117 

forms  in  oral  and  written  speech,  training  in '  the  knowledge  of  the 
technique  of  the  English  sentence  as  the  structural  unit  of  composition 
is  outlined  as  follows: 

For  grade  five:  "To  have  the  subject  concept,  the  predicate  concept, 
the  object,  and  in  a  general  way  the  modifier  concept." 

For  grade  six:  "To  review  sentences  with  respect  to  the  four  forms. 
To  fasten  the  subject  and  predicate  concepts,  both  the  simple  and  com- 
plete. To  study  the  phrase  modifier  and  the  clause  modifier  and  build 
them  into  sentences.  After  building  the  sentence,  to  analyze  it  into  its 
parts,  and  diagram.  Use  the  pupil's  own  composition  as  illustrative 
matter  in  classifications,  building,  analyzing  and  diagramming.  But 
such  matter  must  be  his  own  composition,  not  written  for  the  purpose." 

Provision  has  thus  been  made,  before  the  end  of  grade  six,  for  a  study 
of  the  technique  of  the  English  sentence,  simple  or  complex,  as  it  is 
related  to  the  pupil's  own  composition.  The  application  of  this  knowl- 
edge of  the  technique  of  the  English*"  sentence  to  the  self-expression  of 
the  pupil  is  fundamental  in  all  training  in  the  use  of  oral  or  written 
language. 

At  the  end  of  grade  six,  according  to  the  program  outlined,  the  pupils 
in  Leaven  worth  have  been  taught  to  classify  words  according  to  their 
respective  functions  in  the  sentence;  to  recognize  the  case  forms  cf 
personal  and  relative  pronouns;  to  use  the  principal  parts  of  ordinary 
verbs  with  has  and  have ;  to  recognize  the  singular  and  plural  forms  cf 
ordinary  verbs;  to  recognize  the  subject,  the  predicate,  the  object;  to 
recognize  phrase  and  clause  modifiers;  to  analyze  and  diagram  simple, 
complex,  and  compound  sentences. 

EXAMPLES   OF   THE   TEACHING   OF   LANGUAGE. 

One  teacher  was  observed  in  a  class  of  fourth-grade  boys  and  girls. 
This  teacher  kept  the  interest  alive  and  the  pupils  active  in  a  review 
lesson  on  nouns,  adjectives,  and  verb  forms.  The  lesson  was  marked  out 
from  other  lessons  observed  as  being,  not  a  memory  drill  and  review  of 
these  topics  in  formal  grammar,  but  a  lesson  in  application,  in  which 
nouns  and  verb  forms  were  discovered  as  necessary  in  the  real  language 
of  pupils.  The  boys  and  girls  enjoyed  a  lively  conversation  about  sub- 
jects of  interest  in  the  classroom  and  in  their  activities  outside.  One 
little  girl  who  wore  a  bright  pink  dress  heard  the  sentence,  "Mary's 
pink  dress  is  pretty."  The  correct  tense  forms  of  verbs  were  made 
necessary  as  pupils  were  busy  telling  of  their  activities.  The  writer 
learned  about  a  ball  game:  "Updegraff  was  playing  ball  last  Saturday." 
This  training  v/as  not  limited  to  the  conversation.  News  items  were, 
likewise,  written  upon  the  blackboard.  Of  the  lessons  observed,  this  was 
one  of  the  best  examples  of  the  careful  work  of  the  teacher  in  building 
habits  of  correct  speech  into  the  free,  spontaneous  language  of  children. 

Such  work  may  be  contrasted  in  its  effectiveness  with  the  formalism  in 
teaching  in  which  another  followed  with  the  pupils  an  outline  of  nouns 
and  adjectives  on  the  blackboard : 

"Mary  may  begin."      (Mary  rises.) 

"You  may  give  me  a  noun  in  the  plural." 

The  noun  is  given  correctly. 

"A  noun  ending  iu  y." 

The  plural  of  a  noun  ending  in  y  is  given  correctly. 

"You  may  name  some  adjectives  for  me." 


118  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

Could  a  boy  or  girl  think  that  those  adjectives  would  be  useful  to  that 
teacher?  Such  work  remains  purely  formal  and  abstract.  It  is  ac- 
complished without  any  real  motive  behind  it. 

The  writer  observed  a  lesson  upon  the  essentials  of  a  sentence  (Les- 
sons in  English,  Book  II,  page  12).  The  class  consisted  of  eight  boys 
and  six  girls  in  the  sixth  grade.  The  lesson  began  with  a  review: 

TEACHER:     What  is  a  sentence? 

PUPILS  :    A  group  of  words  making  complete  sense. 

TEACHER:     A   large  tree  is  a  group  of  words.     Is  it  a  sentence? 

PUPIL:     No. 

TEACHER:     Make  it  a  sentence. 

Assertive,  interrogative  and  imperative  sentences,  with  examples  of 
each,  were  readily  but  uselessly  given  by  the  pupils.  The  new  work  for 
the  day's  lessons  was  then  undertaken.  The  teacher  had  prepared  on  the 
blackboard  a  group  of  sentences.  The  pupils,  in  turn,  were  asked  to  go 
to  the  blackboard  and  mark  subject  and  predicate,  simple  subject  and 
predicate,  and  modifiers,  as  follows: 

The  leaves  of  the  tree  fall  every  autumn. 

Sentences  in  the  textbook  were  studied  in  the  same  manner. 

The  boys  and  girls  in  this  class  were  interested  for  two  reasons: 
They  enjoyed  the  mental  and  physical  activity  of  going  to  the  board 
to  mark  the  essentials  of  the  sentences;  they  were  pleased  to  be  able 
to  correct  the  mistakes  made  by  their  mates.  Yet  the  work  showed  no 
opportunity  of  initiative  on  the  part  of  the  pupils  in  the  use  of  lan- 
guage. The  teacher  had  made  plans  and  was  in  the  foreground  during 
the  recitation.  The  teacher  and  pupils,  however,  were  working  together 
in  a  happy  personal  relation.  The  pupils  were  willing  to  work,  and 
from  the  standpoint  of  formal  instruction  and  the  acquisition  of  formal 
subject  matter  the  results  would  be  considered  highly  satisfactory.  Yet 
no  application  was  made  to  the  real  needs  of  these  pupils  for  training 
in  language,  although  the  teacher  explained  to  the  writer  that  few  of 
these  boys  and  girls  would  go  to  High  School  and  some  would  not  finish 
the  eighth  grade. 

In  this  group  of  fourteen  it  would  have  been  quite  possible  for  the 
teacher  to  find  in  the  compositions  of  these  pupils  examples  of  their 
failure  to  recognize  the  essentials  of  a  sentence.  A  teacher  need  not 
look  far  to  find,  in  the  language  of  the  sixth-grade  pupils,  two  types 
of  failure  in  sentence  structure:  (1)  a  part  of  a  sentence  set  off  by  a 
period  as  if  complete,  and  (2)  a  sentence  which  runs  on  and  on  because 
the  pupil  does  not  feel  the  sense  of  completeness  when  he  has  said  the 
one  thing  which  he  intended  to  say  about  his  subject.  The  difficulty 
of  applying  to  writing  and  speech  the  knowledge  that  a  sentence  is  a 
group  of  words  making  complete  sense  does  not  arise  from  an  attempt 
to  write  a  single  isolated  sentence,  nor  is  the  difficulty  to  be  found  in 
the  recognition  of  the  essentials  of  a  sentence  previously  constructed 
for  the  pupil.  In  order  to  teach  the  sentence  as  the  structural  unit  in 
the  use  of  language,  it  is  necessary  that  it  be  taught  as  a  unit  in  com- 
position in  which  the  writer  expresses  himself  with  freedom  and  spon- 
taneity. Thus  the  sentence  becomes  a  unit  in  a  discourse  which  moves 
easily  from  one  thought  to  another.  It  is  a  structural  unit  which 
functions  as  a  part  of  a  larger  unit  of  discourse,  the  whole  composition. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      119 


COMPOSITION    IN    GRADES   FOUR,   FIVE   AND    SIX. 

As  a  means  of  determining  the  nature  of  results  obtained  from  the 
teaching  of  language  in  grades  four,  five  and  six,  compositions  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  pupils,  representing  the  total  number  of  pupils  in 
grade  six,  have  been  examined.  The  compositions  were  written  for  this 
purpose,  in  May,  1914,  upon  subjects  of  interest  to  pupils  in  Leaven- 
worth.  The  papers  were  submitted  jvithout  correction  by  the  teachers. 

The  papers  were  read  at  first  for  the  element  of  human  interest, 
which  depends  upon  the  individuality  shown  in  the  expression  of  the 
pupils.  While  this  element  was  not  entirely  absent  in  the  work  of  any 
group  of  pupils,  yet  the  results  from  different  groups  showed  so  much 
variation  in  the  degree  of  self-expression  that  an  attempt  has  been 
made  to  rank  the  work  of  these  groups  according  to  the  element  of 
human  interest.  In  the  tabulation  this  order  is  observed.  The  first 
column  shows  the  work  of  the  pupiTs  from  Lincoln,  one  of  the  colored 
schools,  in  which  the  element  of  human  interest  is  strongest. 

A  second  reading,  from  which  notes  were  carefully  made,  was  under- 
.  taken  with  a  view  of  determining  the  fundamentals  of  technique  which 
showed  the  greatest  variation  in  the  work  of  the  pupils  of  grade  six. 
An  analysis  of  the  results  of  this  reading  suggested  that  two  points 
would  serve  as  guides  in  determining  the  nature  of  the  results  obtained 
on  the  basis  of  the  program  outlined  for  the  attainment  in  composition 
at  the  end  of  the  sixth  grade.  The  two  points  determined  upon  as 
those  which  would  show  the  application  of  knowledge  of  the  simple 
technique  of  the  sentence  in  the  written  composition  of  the  pupils  are 
as  follows:  (1)  the  ability  or  failure  to  recognize  a  sentence  as  a 
group  of  words  expressing  a  complete  thought;  (2)  the  ability  to  use, 
in  connected  discourse,  a  complex  sentence. 

The  papers  were  read  for  the  third  time,  and  a  count  was  made 
as  follows:  (1)  Each  paper  in  which  a  single  failure  occurred  in  the 
recognition  of  a  complete  sentence  was  counted  a  failure  on  that  point. 
The  number  of  such  failures  in  one  paper  was  not  considered.  (2) 
Each  paper  in  which  one  or  more  than  one  complex  sentence  was  used, 
was  credited  for  that  point.  The  results  of  this  study  apply  to  Leaven- 
worth  alone.  The  lack  of  comparative  data  on  these  points  makes  it 
impossible  to  reach  any  conclusion  about  the  results  of  the  effectiveness 
of  the  teaching  in  Leavenworth  as  compared  with  that  of  other  cities. 
It  is  hoped  that  the  results  shown  for  the  schools  in  Leavenworth  will 
suggest  to  the  teachers  the  possibility  of  determining  the  reasons  for  the 
variations.  The  test  is  simple,  and  covers  but  a  few  points  in  the 
study  of  a  problem  so  complex  as  that  of  English  composition.  The 
results  of  this  study  are  submitted  in  Table  XXVIII: 

TABLE  XXVIII. 


Total. 

Lincoln. 

Sumner  . 

Morris. 

Oak 
Street. 

Third 
Avenue. 

Frank- 
lin. 

Maple- 
wood. 

Number  of  compositions  examined  . 

150 

7 

10 

23 

28 

'  43 

17 

22 

Per  cent  of  pupils  who  had  all  sen- 

tences complete  

63 

50 

74 

46 

84 

46 

73 

Per  cent  of  pupils  who  used  one 

complex  sentence  

80 

43 

100 

83 

82 

95 

94 

36 

120  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

The  results  of  this  test  may  be  interpreted  by  representative  ex- 
tracts from  the  pupils'  compositions.  For  example,  the  result  shown 
in  the  column  for  the  Lincoln  School  may  be  interpreted  by  the  follow- 
ing quotation  from  a  boy's  theme.  The  selection  is  marked  by  the  joy 
and  power  of  self-expression  and  by  the  element  of  human  interest.  It 
is  lacking  in  the  technique  of  the  structure  of  the  sentence. 

A  boy  threw  his  line  in  the  lake  and  fl  snake,  made  him  leave  his  line,  he  ran  all 
around  the  bank  hunting  for  a  stick  to  kill  the  snake  with  and  he  killed  the  snake  and 
laid  it  on  the  track  and  the  train  cut  its  head  off.  and  when  he  pulled  up  his  line  he 
had  a  crawdad  and  he  took  its  tail  for  bait. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  this  boy,  with  real,  vital  impressions  and  a  story 
which  had  stirred  him,  has  taken  delight  in  expressing  himself  sincerely. 
By  expressing  himself  with  freedom  and  spontaneity  he  has  made  an  ap- 
peal which  is  true  to  human  nature.  His  story  shows  a  movement  from 
the  beginning  to  the  climax  of  the  reader's  interest.  He  has  interwoven 
two  related  incidents  successfully.  These  qualities,  which  characterize 
genuine  literary  expression,  must  be  preserved  in  his  work.  The  writing, 
of  course,  is  lacking  in  the  technique  of  sentence  structure.  He  has  a 
number  of  ideas  to  be  expressed;  each  is  complete  in  itself.  But  these 
ideas  are  also  related  ideas,  some  of  which  are  subordinate  to  others. 
These  are  the  problems  in  technique  for  the  instruction  of  the  teacher. 
Any  attempt  to  improve  the  technique  of  this  work  must  be  undertaken 
by  the  teacher  with  a  view  of  preserving  the  qualities  of  expression  which 
make  a  strong  human  appeal. 

Contrasted  with  the  example  just  quoted  is  one  which  is  representative 
of  a  column  ranking  high  in  the  technique  of  the  sentence  but  low  in 
human  interest  or  in  self-expression.  Note  the  sperficial  tone  of  children 
who  write  of  a  trip  to  Pilot  Knob  after  this  fashion : 

We  had  much  benefit  by  the  trip. 

Our  teachers  were  very  anxious  to  have  us  get  all  the  good  out  of  it  so  we  would  be 
able  to  write  on  it. 

We  were  very  tired  but  when  we  got  our. lunch  we  felt  much  better.  And  started  our 
afternoon  work. 

We  ate  our  dinner  and  then  after  a  little  rest  we  were  ready  for  our  afternoon  work. 

We  went  to  the  Knob  for  a  grammar  and  geography  lesson  and  to  get  specimens  for 
drawing. 

These  pupils  show  some  mastery  of  technique,  but  their  composition 
work  presents  greater  difficulty  in  the  way  of  improvement  than  does  that 
of  the  boy  who  writes  the  snake  story.  Spontaneity  has  been  lost.  The 
expression  is  insincere  and  artificial. 

Another  column  shows  (1)  little  expression  of  self;  (2)  a  knowledge 
of  the  sentence  as  a  complete  thought;  (3)  a  high  percentage  of  pupils 
who  did  not  use  a  single  complex  sentence.  The  following  quotations  will 
serve  to  show  the  immaturity  of  the  pupils  in  their  use  of  the  sentence. 
The  two  quotations  were  selected  because  they  show  the  level  of  uni- 
formity which  was  characteristic  of  the  work  of  more  than  twenty  pupils. 

(1) 

We  have  an  ice  cream  social  the  latter  part  of  each  year.  Our  ice  cream  social  will  be 
May  26th  this  year.  The  Huffman  Music  Co.  will  come  out  to  our  school  grounds.  We 
can  have  music. 

We  have  it  on  the  school  grounds.  We  have  a  large  yard.  The  north,  side  of  our 
school  grounds  has  grass  on  it.  We  also  have  large  shade  trees. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      121 

(2) 

We  have  our  Ice  cream  Social  the  latter  part  of  every  year.     This  year  it  will  b< 
26th,   1914. 

\Ve  have  a  lar^c  y:n\l,  and  also  very  nice  grass.  We  have  several  large  shade  trees. 
We  have  our  tables  under  our  shade  trees. 

These  quotations  are  additional  evidence  of  the  result  of  teaching 
formal  technique  and  the  failure  to  apply  the  knowledge  of  the  use  of 
phrases  and  clauses  to  the  real  language  of  the  pupil. 

One  column,  which  represents  work  strong  in  technique,  with  some 
element  of  human  interest,  shows  the  results  from  the  compositions  of 
pupils  who  wrote  upon  the  "Autobiography  of  a  Penny."  Such  a  subject 
is  artificial  and  of  doubtful  value.  These  pupils  might  have  done  better 
with  a  subject  which  approached  more  nearly  the  demands  for  genuine 
self-expression.  In  contrast  with  the  simple  undeveloped  sentences  just 
mentioned,  these  quotations  show  soirie  maturity  in  composition: 

While  I  was  lying  under  the  window  for  almost  two  weeks,  I  was  stepped  on  by  a 
man  who  put  me  into  his  pocket  and  said,  "I  think  this  will  bring  good  luck  to  me." 

The  boy  thanked  the  man  for  me  and  then  took  me  into  a  bakery  and  bought  a  cake 
for  his  dinner. 

I  am  still  in  the  bakery  and  am  very  tired  looking  at  cake  and  pie. 

I  like  best  to  travel  around  with  little  children  from  one  store  to  another. 

One  class,  that  made  almost  the  same  record  as  the  one  writing  about 
the  penny,  wrote  about  the  story  hour  in  their  school.  Some  of  the  pupils 
said  that  they  like  stories  because  they  rest  the  mind.  Others  who  were 
really  interested  told  stories.  The  following  extract  shows  the  pupil's 
ability  to  carry  forward  the  movement  in  the  story.  It  also  shows  that 
this  pupil  is  not  always  able  to  recognize  a  complete  sentence  as  a 
structural  unit  in  his  story.  The  composition  reveals  the  points  at  which 
he  needs  the  help  of  the  teacher  to  arouse  in  him  a  consciousness  of  the 
sense  of  completeness  in  a  sentence. 

The  Town  Musician  is  a  good  story  about  a  donkey  that  was  going  along  the  road 
braying  because  his  master  thought  he  was  too  old  to  work  so  he  chased  him  ayay.  When 
he  thought  of  his  good  voice  and  said  he  would  go  to  Brenan  to  be  in  the  band.  He  then 
met  a  dog,  a  cat,  and  a  rooster.  Then  they  were  resting  when  the  rooster  saw  a  light. 
They  went  over  where  the  light  was  and  the  donkey  looked  in  the  window  and  saw  some 
robbers.  So  they  made  a  plan  that  the  donkey  should  bray,  the  dog  should  howl,  and  the 
cat  should  mew,  and  the  rooster  should  crow. 

The  reproduction  of  a  story  which  gives  room  for  a  play  of  the  creative 
imagination  of  the  pupil  is  one  of  the  most  effective  means  for  the  develop- 
ment of  the  use  of  language  in  these  grades.  The  onward  movement  of 
the  story  in  both  oral  and  written  composition  tends  to  produce  the 
sentence  which  runs  on  and  on.  It  is  in  this  work  that  the  teacher  finds 
it  necessary  to  keep  freedom  of  movement  in  the  story,  but  to  build  into  it 
the  sense  of  the  unity  or  completeness  of  a  sentence.  It  is  a  difficult 
problem  in  these  grades,  but  one  which  is  fundamental. 

For  the  columns  which  show  a  knowledge  of  technique  both  in  the 
unity  of  the  sentence  and  in  the  subordination  of  one  idea  to  another,  the 
writer  has  selected,  from  some  compositions  about  Pilot  Knob,  the  follow- 
ing quotations.  Each  quotation  shows  that  the  application  of  knowledge 


122  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

of  the  technique  of  a  sentence  is  necessary  to  self-expression — the  aim 
of  composition : 

Some  of  the  children  went  to  gather  violets  and  saw  a  snake  which  they  thought  was  a 
rattler. 

There  were  four  of  us  girls  who  went  into  the  woods  where  we  saw  a  rattle  snake. 
We  caught  some  fish,  shot  some  squirrels,  and  ate  all  the  apples  and  peaches  we  could. 

The  following  quotations  from  an  account  of  the  pupils'  visit  to  the 
Soldiers'  Home  show  the  same  quality  of  self-expression  combined  with  a 
mastery  of  sentence  structure: 

There  is  a  very  large  white  flag  pole  on  the  highest  hill  from  which  the  red,  white,  and 
blue  flag  floats.  It  is  raised  at  sunrise  and  lowered  at  sunset. 

After  the  flag  is  down  the  men  fold  it  up,  but  they  are  very  careful  not  to  let  it  drag. 

THE   ORAL   USE   OF   LANGUAGE. 

The  oral  use  of  language  was  judged  by  the  following  standards:  (1) 
Is  the  use  of  language  free  and  spontaneous?  (2)  Does  it  make  the 
hearer  acquainted  with  the  individuality  of  the  children  as  speakers? 
(3)  Does  the  program  show  a  provision  for  training  in  the  habits  of 
correct  speech  without  inhibiting  the  real,  vital  use  of  spoken  language? 
In  the  textbook  and  in  the  printed  outline  for  grades  four,  five  and  six, 
oral  composition  is  placed  before  written  composition  in  the  amount  of 
time  devoted  to  it  and  in  the  order  of  presentation. 

In  grade  four,  one  teacher  used  successfully  language  games  which 
provide  for  the  repetition  of  correct  grammatical  forms.  Such  a  device 
may  easily  become  mechanical.  In  this  case,  however,  the  attention  of 
the  pupils  was  centered  upon  the  thought,  the  expression  of  which  was 
demanded  by  the  activity  of  the  game.  Repetition  of  the  correct  forms, 
with  the  attention  of  the  pupil  centered  upon  the  thought  expressed, 
furnished  valuable  training  for  the  ear,  which  becomes  a  guide  in  the  use 
of  correct  forms  in  speech. 

One  form  of  oral  composition  which  is  being  used  in  Leavenworth  in 
these  grades  is  story-telling.  This  form  of  training  is  well  adapted  to  the 
child's  interests  during  this  period,  and  is  a  natural  stimulus  toward  a 
growing  freedom  in  self-expression.  But  story-telling  is  a  creative  art. 
The  real  story-teller  will  enlarge  upon  his  story,  will  improvise  and  de- 
velop parts  of  the  story  as  a  composition  which  grows  with  the  telling 
This  real  story-teller  is  able  to  adapt  the  story  to  the  interests  of  hi& 
audience.  During  the  time  spent  in  the  classrooms  the  children  were 
asked  to  tell  some  of  their  best  stories.  The  results  obtained  showed  two 
types  of  training  in  story-telling.  In  some  cases  the  children  told  stories 
in  a  manner  which  showed  the  art  of  a  genuine  story-teller,  an  art  of 
free  and  spontaneous  expression  which  may  be  easily  developed  in  children 
under  twelve  years  of  age.  In  other  cases  the  children  recited,  in  a  stiff, 
stilted,  artificial  manner,  stories  which  had  been  committed.  In  one  case 
the  children  recited,  in  order,  parts  of  the  story.  In  such  cases  the 
language  was  correct  but  formal,  while  in  the  case  of  the  real  story-teller 
the  genuine  language  of  the  pupil  revealed  some  of  the  same  crudities  of 
speech  that  are  found  in  the  language  used  in  the  snake  story,  previously 
quoted. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      123 

In  a  class  in  grade  five  the  pupils  responded  so  readily  with  correct 
sentences  in  a  drill  in  grammar  that  an  attempt  was  made  to  test  the 
effectiveness  of  this  training  in  sentence  structure  in  its  application  to 
the  real  language  of  the  pupils.  Some  of  the  pupils  were  encouraged  to 
tell  stories  of  the  early  days  in  Leavenworth.  One  boy  told  a  marvelous 
tale,  which  his  grandfather  had  told  him,  about  a  man  "who  jumped 
clean  across  the  creek."  He  became  so  much  interested  in  his  story  that 
he  revealed  his  real  use  of  language.  The  teacher  apologized  for  the 
boy's  forgetting  himself  and  consequently  using  such  poor  language. 

LETTER-WRITING. 

Letter-writing  is  a  need  felt  by  children  from  ten  to  twelve.  The  life 
of  each  school  community  creates  demands  for  the  writing  of  business 
letters.  The  principal  of  a  building  and  the  teachers  attend  to  business 
letters  for  the  school,  which  would  "provide  motives  for  letter-writing 
for  their  pupils.  In  one  school,  which  purchased  a  victrola  as  a  com- 
munity enterprise,  there  must  have  been  sufficient  business  to  call  for 
a  number  of  business  letters  in  the  raising  of  funds  and  in  the  purchase 
of  the  victrola.  The  teacher  must  have  investigated  the  subject  of  the 
cost  and  the  kinds  of  victrolas.  This  information  might  have  been  col- 
lected by  the  older  pupils  and  reported  to  the  school,  orally  or  in 
writing. 

The  principals  and  teachers  frequently  telephone  to  the  superintend- 
ent's office  for  supplies  or  for  necessary  repairs.  If  the  needs  were 
anticipated,  requests  might  be  sent  to  Mr.  Morgan,  the  clerk  of  the 
board,  in  the  form  of  business  letters  written  by  pupils.  These  letters 
would  call  for  specific  description  and  explanation  of  the  supplies  or 
repairs  needed.  The  request  would  be  made  effective  by  the  statement 
of  the  reason  that  these  things  are  necessary  or  desirable.  In  one 
school  illustrative  material  for  geography  is  collected.  To  do  this  it 
is  necessary  for  some  one  to  write  business  letters  to  many  firms.  These 
letters  may  be  written  by  pupils.  The  replies  from  them  will  be  studied 
with  more  interest  than  the  models  given  in  a  textbook.  There  are  a 
number  of  problems  involved  in  the  writing  of  these  letters.  The 
teacher  helps  the  pupils  in  meeting  them  successfully,  but  she  does  not 
take  the  responsibility. 

These  problems  which  arise  for  the  boy  and  girl  in  the  organized  life 
of  a  school  community,  as  well  as  in  the  world  of  affairs  outside  the 
school,  will  challenge  a  natural  desire  to  meet  real  conditions  and  to 
achieve  results.  The  subject  matter  of  instruction  in  the  use  of  lan- 
guage may  be  brought  into  the  form  of  problems  arising  for  boys  and 
girls  in  many  social  situations  found  in  the  classroom,  in  the  school 
community,  and  in  the  world  of  affairs.  Herein  lies  a  test  of  the 
teacher's  skill. 

RECOMMENDATIONS   FOR   GRADES   FOUR,    FIVE  AND    SIX. 

We  recommend  the  elimination  of  formal  grammar  in  grades  four, 
five  and  six,  but  ample  provision  for  training  in  habits  of  use  of  cor- 
rect speech,  together  with  the  mastery  of  the  simple  technique  of  the 
English  sentence,  as  reasonable  requirements  in  language  study.  In 


124  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

Leavenworth  this  recommendation  will  result  in  economy  of  time  and 
effort  which  may  be  expended  in  more  helpful  pursuits. 

Some  of  the  teachers  have  not  yet  recognized  the  social  conditions 
in  the  school  which  provide  motives  and  call  forth  the  initiative  of 
pupils  in  self-expression.  As  a  consequence  of  this  failure  to  recognize 
the  influence,  of  the  demands  of  the  environment  of  the  pupils,  and  on 
account  of  the  traditional  ideas  of  the  teaching  of  grammar  as  a 
formal  abstract  subject,  training  in  language  falls  below  the  standard: 
the  development  of  the  child,  through  the  expression  of  self  in  a  social 
situation. 

The  variations  noted  in  the  tabulations  of  the  results  obtained  in 
composition  at  the  end  of  grade  six  suggest  that  they  are  not  due 
primarily  to  the  home  environment  of  the  pupils,  but  to  the  point  of 
view  of  the  teachers  in  regard  to  what  constitutes  effectiveness  in  lan- 
guage teaching.  With  the  same  untiring  industry  which  character- 
izes the  work  of  these  teachers,  but  with  a  changed  point  of  view,  the 
teachers  of  Leavenworth  have  within  their  possibilities  of  accomplish- 
ment the  achievement  of  a  high  standard  in  the  teaching  of  language. 

GRAMMAR  AND   COMPOSITION   IN    GRADES    SEVEN   AND   EIGHT. 

Before  the  teaching  of  grammar  had  been  observed,  a  simple  test 
on  fourteen  points  was  prepared  and  given,  in  March,  1914,  to  all 
of  the  pupils  in  grade  eight,  numbering  137,  and  to  115  pupils  who 
entered  High  School  in  September,  1913.  In  order  to  obtain  some  basis 
for  comparison,  the  same  test  was  given  at  approximately  the  same  time 
to  the  eighth-grade  pupils  in  Kansas  City,  Kansas,  and  Wichita.  A  total 
of  707  pupils  of  grade  eight  who  use  the  same  textbook  were  tested. 

DIRECTIONS  FOR  GIVING  GRAMMAR  TEST. 

This  test  is  to  be  given  by  the  regular  teachers. 

Give  plenty  of  time  for  the  test. 

No  explanation  should  be  given  to  the  pupil  by  the  teacher  for  parts  I  and  II. 

In  part  III  the  teacher  should  say  to  the  class,  "This  exercise  calls  for  the  writing 
of  one  long  sentence  and  no  more.  No  certain  number  of  words  is  called  for,  and  the 
sentence  will  not  be  judged  by  its  length." 

The  answer  to  all  questions  are  to  be  written  upon  the  test  sheet. 

GRAMMAR  TEST. 

Name School City 

Boy  or  girl Age Date 

I.    There  is  no  man  in  Mexico  whom  the  United  States  government  now 
recognizes  as  the  ruler  of  that  country. 

(1)  Name  the  verbs  in  this  sentence. 

(2)  What  is  the  case  of  whom? 

(3)  How  is  whom  used  in  this  sentence? 

(4)  Name  the  parts  of  speech  for  the  words  italicized: 

1.  in  

2.  noir 

3.  that 

II.    State  the  reasons  which  you  have  learned  in  the  study  of  grammar 
for  saying: 

"I  have  seen  him"  instead  of  "I  have  saw  him." 
"Will  you  go  with  him  and  me?"  instead  of  "Will  you  go  with 
him  and  I?" 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWOHTH,  KAN.      125 

III.  Write  one  sentence  only.  Let  the  subject  of  the  sentence  be  your 
favorite  hero,  and  let  the  predicate,  with  its  modifications,  tell  the 
most  wonderful  thing  this  hero  did. 

The  points  considered  in  the  first  two  questions  are  indicated.  In  the 
third,  five  points  were  considered:  (1)  the  use  of  the  favorite  hero  as 
subject;  (2)  what  he  did  used  as  predicate;  (3)  period  at  end  of  sentence; 
(4)  beginning  name  of  hero  with  a  capital  letter;  (5)  following  directions 
by  writing  only  one  sentence. 

The  test  is  simple.  It  does  not  cover  many  points  in  formal  grammar 
which  have  been  taught  to  these  pupils.  All  of  the  fourteen  points  se- 
lected have  been  taught  to  pupils  in  Leavenworth  at  the  end  of  grade  six, 
with  the  single  exception  of  the  "use  of  whom"  which  is  taught  in  grade 
seven. 

Five  points  test  ability  to  classify^  words  in  the  sentence  as  parts  of 
speech :  verbs  of  two  kinds,  preposition,  adverb,  and  adjective. 

The  adjective  that  was  chosen  because  it  is  a  word  which  may  perform 
other  functions  in  the  sentence. 

The  word  whom  was  chosen  because  it  is  an  inflected  form — a  real  case 
distinction  as  the  language.  Its  use  in  a  sentence  must  be  understood. 

The  tense  form  of  the  verb  see  and  the  case  form  of  the  personal  pro- 
noun were  selected  for  the  test  in  order  that  it  might  be  determined,  if 
possible,  how  far  these  pupils  are  able  to  see  some  relation  between  their 
knowledge  of  formal  grammar  and  the  use  of  correct  forms  of  speech. 
This  test  shows  nothing  of  the  knowledge  of  correct  forms.  This  point 
was  eliminated  from  consideration  by  the  statement  of  the  correct  forms. 

The  assignment  of  "Your  favorite  hero"  was  made  in  order  to  center 
the  attention  of  the  pupil  upon  his  own  thought  while  writing  a  sentence. 
Upon  such  a  basis  it  was  the  aim  to  test  his  ability  to  apply  knowledge  of 
the  essentials  of  the  sentence  and  to  test  his  consciousness  of  a  sense  of 
completeness  in  a  sentence  of  his  own  composition. 

The  papers  of  the  pupils  in  Leavenworth  were  all  scored  by  the  writer, 
as  were  some  of  the  papers  in  each  of  the  other  cities.  The  other  papers 
were  scored  by  two  advanced  college  students  at  the  Kansas  State  Normal 
School,  under  supervision.  Each  of  these  students  has  had  experience  in 
the  teaching  of  grammar.  The  test  leaves  opportunity  for  few  questions 
of  judgment  in  grading.  In  the  cases  in  which  such  questions  arose  they 
were  referred  to  the  writer  for  decision. 

THE   RESULTS   OF   THE   TEST. 

The  general  average,  which  is  taken  as  a  basis  of  comparison  in  Table 
XXIX,  shows  the  per  cent  right  on  each  point,  in  a  total  of  707  pupils  in 
grade  eight  in  three  cities,  including  Leavenworth.  No  pupils  of  high- 
school  grade  were  included  in  making  up  the  average.  The  average,  for 
each  city  shows  the  per  cent  right  in  the  total  number  tested  in  that  city. 

Although  Leavenworth  allows  a  greater  amount  of  time  for  the  teach- 
ing of  grammar  than  is  allowed  in  either  of  the  other  cities,  the  tabulation 
shows  that  it  falls  below  the  average  in  twelve  points.  In  the  column 
marked  "High  School"  it  is  to  be  noted  that  these  pupils  fall  below  the 
pupils  in  grade  eight  in  Leavenworth  in  eight  points,  but  are  above  those 
pupils  in  six  points  which  require  thought. 


126 


KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


TABLE  XXIX. 

Tabulation  of  Grammar  Test. 


Leav- 
en- 
worth. 

Kan- 
sas 
City, 
Kan. 

Wich- 
ita. 

Aver- 
age. 

Oak 

St. 

Mor- 
ris. 

Third 
Ave. 

Sum- 
ner. 

Lin- 
coln. 

H.  S. 
115 

Number  of  pupils  tested  in  grade  eight, 
The  verb  is     

137 

329 

241 

707 

26 

23 

.  74 

6 

8 

97 

97 

100 

98 

100 

100 

94 

100 

100 

95 

The  verb  recognize     

91 

95 

97 

94 

92 

100 

87 

100 

100 

94 

The  case  of  whom  

62 

83 

82 

75 

50 

91 

51 

100 

75 

60 

The  construction  of  whom  

17 

55 

48 

40 

56 

23 

17 

19 

To  classify  in         

97 

96 

97 

97 

92 

100 

97 

100 

100 

89 

To  classify  now  

92 

97 

94 

94 

85 

100 

82 

100 

100 

68 

To  classify  that   

31 

51 

73 

54 

54 

13 

28 

50 

12 

34 

Tense  form  of  verb  see  

39 

65 

39 

48 

38 

27 

37 

100 

25 

32 

Case  of  personal  pronoun  

41 

72 

73 

62 

23 

43 

47 

83 

12 

49 

Subject  of  sentence  

95 

98 

96 

96 

96 

91 

94 

100 

100 

96 

Predicate  of  sentence  

91 

97 

97 

95 

88 

91 

90 

100 

100 

92 

Period  

89 

90 

96 

92 

85 

91 

89 

83 

100 

83 

Capital,  .s  

94 

96 

98 

96 

96 

91 

94 

100 

87 

75 

One  sentence  only  

94 

93 

96 

94 

92 

90 

94 

100 

100 

87 

In  the  naming  of  the  verbs  in  the  sentence,  the  results  throughout  show 
that  is  is  named  by  more  pupils  than  the  verb  recognize.  This  variation 
suggests  that  is  may  be  named  as  a  result  of  memory  drill,  while  the  verb 
recognize  demands  a  knowledge  of  the  use  of  the  word. 

The  preposition  in  makes  almost  the  same  record  as  the  verb  is,  and 
helps  to  strengthen  the  suggestion  that  the  pupils  succeed  here  as  the 
result  of  drill  in  memory  work. 

The  adverb  now  shows  that  this  point  is  more  difficult  than  those 
mentioned.  Oak  Street,  with  a  score  of  85,  and  Third  Avenue  with  82, 
show  that  this  point  is  difficult.  But  the  first-year  pupils  in  the  High 
School  make  a  score  of  68,  the  lowest  record. 

The  adjective  that  and  the  "use  of  whom"  presented  the  greatest  diffi- 
culties of  the  points  given  in  the  test.  These  two  points  demand  clear 
thinking  upon  logical  relations  in  the  matter  of  language. 


"That   is   an   adjectivi 

Wchita      

Total   average    

Oak    Street    

Kansas   City,   Kan 

High   School    

Sumner      

Leavemvorth    average    

Third  Avenue    

Morris    

Lincoln     


TABLE  XXX. 

"Use  of  whom." 

.  .  73  Morris  56 

51  Kansas  City,  Kan 55 

54  Wichita  4g 

51  Total  average  40 

51  Third  Avenue  23 

.  .  50  High  School  19 

31  Leavemvorth  average  17 

28  Sumner  1.7 

13  Oak  Street  0 

.  .      12        Lincoln     0 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      127 

The  word  that  may  perform  other  functions  in  a  sentence.  The  average 
of  707  pupils  tested  in  these  cities  shows  that  only  54  out  of  100,  or  ap- 
proximately half  of  the  number,  were  able  to  decide  correctly  upon  the 
function  of  the  word  that  as  an  adjective  in  the  sentence  given.  But  the 
wide  distribution  of  the  scores  suggests  that  this  variation  may  have  re- 
sulted from  differences  in  teaching  instead  of  differences  in  abilities  of 
pupils  represented. 

In  contrast,  however,  to  the  use  of  the  word  that,  the  use  of  whom, 
if  it  be  understood,  becomes  a  conscious  standard  for  correct  speech.  The 
average  of  707  pupils  tested  shows  that  only  40  out  of  100,  or  consider- 
ably less  than  half,  were  able  to  give  the  use  of  whom.  As  in  the  case  of 
the  word  that,  the  scores  show  a  wide  variation.  The  average  for  Leaven- 
worth  is  only  17  out  of  100,  although  Morris  made  a  score  of  56,  the 
highest  in  the  list.  Sumner  makes  a  score  of  but  17,  while  Oak  Street  and 
Lincoln  show  zeros.  The  High  School"  pupils  have  a  score  of  19  out  of 
100.  This  tabulation  indicates  that  the  teaching  of  the  use  of  whom  is 
difficult  for  all;  but  it  is  an  essential  which  is  taught  in  Leavenworth 
with  a  variation  in  results  from  56  to  0. 

The  verb  form  have  seen  presents  greater  difficulties  than  does  the  case 
form  of  the  pronoun.  In  the  average  for  the  verb  form  have  seen,  48 
out  of  100  tested  were  able  to  give  reasons;  for  the  case  form  of  the  pro- 
noun, 62  out  of  100. 

But  here,  as  in  the  two  points  noted  which  require  thought,  there  is 
wide  variation : 

TABLE  XXXI. 


"Have  seen." 

Sumner    100 

Kansas  City,  Kan 65 

Total   average    48 

Leavenworth    average    89 

Wichita    39 

Oak    Street    38 

Third  Avenue    37 

High    School    32 

Morris 27 

Lincoln     25 


"With   him   and  me." 

Sumner    88 

Wichita    73 

Kansas  City,  Kan 72 

Total   average    62 

High   School    49 

Third  Avenue    47 

Morris    43 

Leavenworth   average    41 

Oak    23 

Lincoln     12 


It  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  tables  that  in  the  case  of  Kansas 
City  and  Wichita,  72  and  73  out  of  100  are  able  to  explain  the  use  of  cor- 
rect form  by  means  of  their  knowledge  of  the  case  of  the  personal  pro- 
noun. In  Leavenworth  41  out  of  100  are  able  to  use  these  facts  of 
language  as  standards  for  correct  speech.  But  these  cities  show  that 
there  is  greater  difficulty  with  the  verb  form.  In  them  only  65  and  39 
out  of  100  are  able  to  explain  the  correct  form,  and  in  Leavenworth  39 
succeed. 

THE    WRITING   OF   ONE   COMPLETE    SENTENCE. 

The  last  assignment  in  the  test,  to  "tell  the  most  wonderful  thing  your 
hero  did,"  did  not  serve  to  carry  some  pupils  from  the  formal  mechanical 
sentences  used  in  grammar  drills.  Such  sentences  as  the  following  occur 
frequently : 

Columbus   discovered   Aim-rim. 
Lincoln    freed    the   slaves. 
\Yashiriuton    crossed   the    IVl;i\v;iiv. 


128  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

These  sentences  are  all  of  one  type,  and  it  would  be  difficult  for  pupils 
to  make  any  mistakes  who  remembered  that  this  was  a  test  in  grammar. 
In  the  five  points  tested  the  average  was  between  92  and  96,  with  but 
slight  variation  in  either  Leaven  worth  or  in  the  cities  A  and  B.  Sumner 
and  Lincoln  show  four  perfect  scores  in  four  out  of  five  points  here. 
Sumner  has  83  on  period  at  the  end  of  the  sentence  and  Lincoln  87  on 
capitals.  It  may  here  be  noted  that  failure  to  recognize  the  end  of  a 
sentence  occurred  more  often  in  the  work  of  pupils  who  expressed  some- 
thing which  showed  their  real  interest  in  their  heroes.  One  sentence 
written  by  an  eighth-grade  boy  is  as  follows: 

Jack  Tompson  was  a  scout  during  the  out-break  with  the  Apache  Indians,  he  scouted 
at  night  and  day  with  an  indian  scout  called,  Mendez,  killed  four  with  his  gun,  and  cut 
two  with  his  sword  in  one  evening. 

Two  examples  are  chosen  as  representative  of  the  work  of  pupils 
who  fail  to  show  a  sense  of  completeness  in  writing  a  sentence.  In 
each  grade  from  the  fourth  to  the  second  year  in  High  School  this 
definition  is  recited:  "A  sentence  is  a  group  of  words  expressing  a 
complete  thought."  The  first  sentence  was  written  by  a  boy,  age  15, 
in  the  first  year  in  High  School,  his  tenth  year  in  school: 

One  day  my  faithful  dog  hero  saw  another  boy  kicking  another  small  boy,  and  he  ran 
up  and  bit  the  big  boy  on  the  leg,  and  the  big  boy  stoped  kicking  the  small  boy  and  went 
away  crying,  much  to  the  small  boys  satisfaction. 

The  second  was  written  by  a  boy  14  years  of  age,  first-year  class  in 
High  School,  in  his  ninth  year  in  school: 

Mark  the  news  boy  was  standing  on  a  street  car  one  morning  when  looking  around,  he 
saw  on  the  opposite  car  a  frame  house  in  flames,  he  heard  a  cry  from  a  window  and  with 
the  aid  of  a  box  he  climbed  into  the  house,  in  a  few  seconds  he  came  running  out  of  the 
house  with  a  little  child  in  his  arms.* 

This  test  suggests  that  the  pupils  succeed  in  those  points  which  de- 
pend upon  formal  drill  and  memory  work.  They  are  least  successful 
in  the  points  which  require  thought  about  the  function  of  a  word,  as 
in  the  case  of  whom  and  that,  and  in  those  points  which  call  for  ability 
to  relate  their  knowledge  of  grammar  to  correct  forms  of  speech. 

If  the  habit  of  correct  use  of  language  be  established  by  doing, 
rather  than  by  studying  facts  about  language,  at  the  end  of  grade  six, 
then  grade  seven  may  be  considered  the  time  to  begin  the  really  sys- 
tematic ordering  of  the  facts  of  language  gained  by  experience  into 
knowledge  of  formal  grammar.  This  is  the  view  expressed  in  the 
second  preliminary  report  of  the  National  Committee.  At  present  a 
review  of  grammar  is  given  in  the  first  year  of  High  School  or  grade 
nine.  The  plan  of  distributing  the  work  in  formal  grammar  through 
grades  seven,  eight  and  nine,  according  to  the  increasing  abilities  of 
pupils  to  master  this  knowledge,  is  a  suggestion  of  one  means  of  meet- 
ing at  present  this  problem  of  the  intermediate  school. 

COMPOSITION. 

When  the  amount  of  time  and  effort  devoted  to  the  teaching  of  gram- 
mar is  considered,  the  results  obtained  are  disappointing  to  its  most 
hopeful  advocates.  But  the  amount  of  time  devoted  to  the  teaching  of 
composition  in  grades  seven  and  eight  yields  results  that  are  encourag- 

*  This  sentence  and  the  two  preceding  are  given  only  as  representative  of  types  of 
faulty  sentence  structure. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN. 

ing.  Compositions  written  in  May,  1914,  by  the  pupils  in  the  eight  A 
classes  have  been  examined.  The  compositions  were  written  to  give  an 
account  of  the  field  meet  in  Leavenworth.  They  were  written  to  give  in- 
formation, and  not  as  compositions  or  school  exercises.  They  have  been 
submitted  without  correction. 

The  papers  were  first  examined  for  the  two  points  in  the  technique- 
of  the  sentence  which  were  studied  in  the  writing  of  pupils  of  grade 
six.  The  following  tables,  with  a  comparison  of  results  obtained  at  the 
end  of  grade  six  and  the  end  of  grade  eight,  show  that  in  two  years 
pupils  have  acquired  the  use  of  the  complex  sentence.  But  one  pupil, 
failed  to  use  a  complex  sentence. 

Ability  to  Use  a  Complex  Sentence. 

Oak  Third 

Total.      Lincoln.     Simmer.      Morris.      Street.  Avenue. 

At  the  end  of  grade  six.  .  . 80            *-43             100               83               82  95 

At  end  of  grade  eight 99             100             100             100               97  100 

The  sentences  showed  a  mastery  of  a  variety  of  means  of  subordina- 
tion. Relative  clauses  are  used,  but  no  pupil  in  grade  eight  made  use 
of  the  relative  whom  in  his  composition.  As  this  proved  to  be  the  most 
difficult  point  in  the  grammar  test,  there  is  a  suggestion  that  the  use 
of  whom  requires  a  more  mature  grasp  of  sentence  structure  than  is 
found  among  pupils  of  this  grade. 

There  is  a  marked  gain  in  ability  to  recognize  a  sentence  as  complete* 
Of  the  papers  examined,  one  pupil  made  five  errors  on  this  point,  one 
made  four,  one  made  three,  five  made  two,  and  all  others  who  failed  on 
this  point  made  but  one  error. 

In  the  following  table  it  will  be  noted  that  a  comparison  has  been 
made  between  the  pupils  of  grade  six  and  grade  eight  in  their  respective 
abilities  to  recognize  a  sentence  as  complete.  There  is  also  a  compari- 
son of  abilities  of  pupils  of  grade  eight  in  recognizing  a  sentence  as 
complete  when  it  is  a  unit  in  composition,  and  the  abilities  of  the  same 
pupils  when  they  are  asked  to  write  one, sentence  only  as  in  the  gram- 
mar test. 

Percentages  of  Those  who  Recognize  a  Sentence  as  Complete. 

Oak  Third 

Total.     Lincoln.     Sumner.     Morris.     Street.  Avenue. 

End  of  grade  six 63                 0               50               74               46  84 

End  of  grade  eight 74               33               50             100               70  86 

In  grammar  test 94             100             100               90               92  94 

These  results  show  that  on  entering  High  School  in  September,  1915, 
approximately  one-fourth  of  these  pupils  must  be  trained  to  develop  a 
sense  of  completeness  as  applied  to  a  sentence  when  it .  is  a  unit  in 
composition. 

Another  feature  of  the  compositions  written  about  the  field  meet, 
which  show  some  maturity,  is  the  development  of  the  idea  of  a  para- 
graph. The  paragraphs  are  crude,  but  show  a  consciousness  that  some 
sentences  should  be  grouped  together  because  they  tell  about  the  same 
things.  The  plan  for  grade  eight  includes  a  systematic  study  of  the 
paragraph.  The  textbook  supplies  the  definition:  "A  group  of  sen- 
tences that  belong  together  because  they  are  all  about  one  idea  is  called 
a  paragraph." 

—9 


130  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

MANUAL  TRAINING  IN  GRADES  FIVE  TO  EIGHT. 

Ella  V.  Dobbs. 

HANDWORK  in  the  elementary  school  serves  two  purposes.  It  may 
be  an  orderly  progress  in  learning  how  to  use  tools  and  materials  by 
accepted  methods.  In  technical  handwork  chief  emphasis  is  placed 
upon  execution,  and  the  pupil  accepts  its  methods  upon  the  authority 
of  the  teacher. 

Handwork  may  also  be  used  as  an  illustrative  factor  in  teaching 
other  subjects,  especially  geography  and  history.  Illustrative  hand- 
work places  emphasis  upon  effect  rather  than  technique,  and  the  worker 
is  allowed  free  play  for  his  ingenuity  and  imagination. 

Both  types  of  work  are  needed  in  a  well-rounded  course.  In  the 
lower  grades,  while  the  undeveloped  muscles  of  the  children  prevent 
great  precision  of  movement,  a  large  use  of  illustrative  work  tends  to 
give  a  general  acquaintance  with  materials,  their  properties  and  uses. 
A  few  technical  processes  are  within  the  powers  of  first-grade  children. 
The  desire  and  need  for  definite  control  of  tools  increases  year  by  year. 
These  conditions  suggest  a  large  use  of  free  work  in  the  lower  grades, 
with  increasing  emphasis  upon  execution  until  work  of  the  technical 
type  predominates  in  the  upper  grades. 

TECHNICAL    HANDWORK. 

Technical  handwork  includes  definitely  organized  courses  in  various 
materials,  wood,  paper,  cardboard,  metals,  textiles,  etc.  Among  these 
the  school  must  choose  that  type  of  work  which  is  best  suited  to  the 
needs  and  ability  of  the  children  for  whom  it  is  planned,  which  will 
appeal  most  strongly  to  their  interests  and  furnish  the  strongest  motive 
for  effort,  and  at  the  same  time  develop  to  the  highest  degree  their 
ability  to  think  and  act  independently. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    HANDWORK. 

Illustrative  handwork  has  neither  time  nor  subject  matter  of  its 
own,  but  is  used  by  the  regular  teacher  when  it  serves  to  present  a 
topic  more  clearly.  Its  value  depends  upon  the  opportunity  it  offers 
for  self-expression  and  self-directed  activity.  This  value  is  lost  unless 
the  children  are  allowed  to  work  out  their  own  problems  with  a  mini- 
mum amount  of  supervision  and  assistance.  Illustrative  handwork  in- 
cludes the  making  of  posters  and  booklets  and  small  representations 
of  interesting  things  described  in  the  textbooks,  such  as  the  cotton  gin, 
the  first  steamboat,  the  Merrimac  and  the  Monitor,  canal  locks,  ancient 
and  foreign  methods  of  transportation,  tools  and  cooking  utensils  of 
other  lands  and  other  times;  also  sand-table  representations  of  inter- 
esting scenes,  industrial  processes,  and  any  topic  which  may  be  made 
more  interesting  or  more  intelligible  through  the  use  of  concrete  ex- 
pression. 

Two  important  considerations  enter  into  the  evaluation  of  a  course 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      131 

in  handwork,  i.  e.,  that  illustrative  work  shall  be  appreciated  for  its 
illustrative  value  and  thought-provoking  power  without  regard  to  its 
technical  imperfections;  and  that  technical  courses  shall  begin  with 
processes  that  the  children  understand  and  can  perform  with  ease,  and 
shall  keep  pace  with  their  development  in  power  to  execute. 

HANDWORK   IN   THE  LEAVENWORTH   PUBLIC   SCHOOLS. 

Handwork  is  provided  for  all  students  in  the  elementary  schools  of 
Leavenworth.  In  grades  one  to  four  simple  exercises  in  paper  and 
cardboard,  weaving  and  basketry,  are  planned  for  boys  and  girls,  under 
the  direction  of  the  supervisor  of  drawing.  In  grades  five  to  eight  the 
boys  and  girls  work  separately. 

Boys  of  the  fifth  grade  have  a  series  of  exercises  in  cardboard. 
Sixth-grade  boys  have  a  course  of  knife  work  in  thin  wood.  Boys  of 
the  seventh  and  eighth  grades  have*-bench  work  in  the  manual  train- 
ing shop  at  the  High  School.  Eighty  minutes  per  week  are  devoted 
to  these  courses.  In  addition  to  these  regular  handwork  courses,  numer- 
ous projects  in  handicraft  and  applied  design  are  given  to  both  boys 
and  girls  in  the  four  upper  grades  as  a  part  of  the  work  in  drawing. 

The  type  of  work  throughout  the  courses  is  that  already  described  as 
technical  handwork.  It  bears  the  impress  of  both  the  sloyd  and  Rus- 
sian systems,  and  consists  in  each  case  of  a  definite  series  of  exercises 
to  be  worked  out  by  each  pupil,  the  chief  end  in  view  being  the  mastery 
of  common  tool  processes  with  a  fair  degree  of  skill.  Until  these  proc- 
esses are  mastered  the  pupils  follow  definite  plans  made  by  the  teacher. 
After  the  tool  exercises  are  completed,  some  freedom  is  allowed  in  the 
choice  of  projects  to  which  these  fundamental  principles  may  be  applied. 
These  projects  include  match  boxes,  necktie  racks,  coat  hangers,  bird 
houses,  book  racks,  taborets,  and  numerous  other  small  articles  which 
may  be  used  in  the  home. 

A  course  in  the  reading  and  making  of  working  drawings  accom- 
panies the  work  in  wood.  The  first  exercises  are  made  from  working 
drawings  made  by  the  teacher  on  the  blackboard.  For  the  next  group 
of  exercises  each  pupil  makes  a  copy  of  a  working  drawing  which  has 
been  prepared  by  the  teacher.  For  more  advanced  work  each  pupil 
makes  a  sketch  of  the  thing  he  proposes  to  make,  and  from  this  sketch 
he  makes  a  complete  working  drawing. 

In  making  a  broad,  general  comment  upon  the  work  of  this  depart- 
ment, the  writer  would  say  that,  with  a  few  exceptions,  all  of  the  work 
that  is  being  done  is  being  well  done.  It  accomplishes  with  fair  satis- 
faction that  at  which  it  aims.  And  before  any  specific  criticism  of  the 
various  phases  of  the  work  is  made,  it  should  be  stated  that  the  gen- 
eral plan  of  work  corresponds  to  and  compares  well  with  much,  if  not 
most,  of  the  accepted  type  of  work  throughout  the  country.  It  has 
some  features  in  which  it  is  superior  to  the  common  practice.  For  ex- 
ample, the  seventh-  and  eighth-grade  boys  have  access  to  the  very 
well  equipped  shop  at  the  High  School,  where  they  work  at  the  turning- 
lathe  as  well  as  the  carpenter's  bench,  and  become  familiar  with  other 
machinery  in  use  there.  In  a  large  percentage  of  manual-training  sys- 
tems the  grade  pupils  handle  the  carpenter's  tools  only. 


132  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

GRADES   FIVE   AND   SIX. 

The  course  for  the  fifth-grade  boys  consists  of  a  series  of  small 
models  in  cardboard,  such  as  a  pinwheel,  wall-pocket,  calendar,  blotter, 
handkerchief  case,  etc.  In  making  these  models  each  pupil  draws  di- 
rectly upon  the  cardboard  the  pattern  which  the  teacher  dictates.  The 
article  is  then  cut  out,  folded,  and  pasted  or  tied  into  shape. 

The  course  in  knife  work  for  the  sixth-grade  boys  consists  of  nine 
small  articles  made  from  thin  pine,  with  the  working  drawings  which 
accompany  them.  The  list  of  articles  includes  a  thread  or  fish-line  winder, 
a  key  tag,  a  paper  file  (hexagonal  base),  paper  knife,  picture  frame,  key 
rack,  whisk-broom  holder,  match  strike,  and  match  box.  For  these  defi- 
nite plans  are  prepared.  The  pupils  copy  the  teacher's  plan,  first  on 
paper  and  then  on  wood,  adhering  strictly  to  the  dimensions  of  the 
original  plan. 

The  tools  used  in  this  course  are  a  compass,  knife,  and  tack  hammer. 
A  very  convenient  kit,  designed  and  made  by  the  supervisor,  holds  both 
tools  and  materials.  One  side  of  the  kit  serves  as  a  drawing-board,  and 
the  other  side  as  a  cutting-board,  which  protects  the  desk  from  injury, 
the  work  being  done  in  the  regular  schoolroom. 

Judged  from  the  standard  of  technical  handwork,  these  courses  are 
open  to  question  as  to  whether  the  subject  matter  chosen  is  of  the  form 
best  suited  to  the  needs  and  ability  of  the  children  for  whom  it  is  in- 
tended, and  offers  the  strongest  motive  for  their  activity.  The  form  of 
work  chosen  should  not  only  meet  these  needs,  but  meet  them  more  ade- 
quately than  any  other  forms  of  work  which  might  be  used.  It  must  not 
only  get  results,  but  get  the  best  results. 

The  use  of  a  single  tool  in  the  sixth  grade  limits  the  possible  opera- 
tions to  be  performed  and  confines  the  work  chiefly  to  flat  projects.  To 
obtain  variety  in  these  some  geometric  forms  are  introduced  involving 
operations  which  are  difficult  to  perform  with  a  satisfactory  degree  of 
technical  accuracy.  For  example,  the  third  model  in  knife  work  is  a 
hexagonal  piece  of  wood  with  a  beveled  edge — an  exercise  in  whittling 
which  requires  considerable  skill  if  a  high  standard  is  maintained.  The 
range  of  projects  in  flat  work  is  limited,  and  interest  demands  the  intro- 
duction of  some  models  of  the  box  type.  It  is  difficult  to  make  a  well- 
fitted  box  in  quarter-inch  wood,  even  with  a  full  set  of  tools.  It  is  more 
difficult  when  the  work  must  be  done  with  a  knife  only.  Two  models  of 
the  course  require  fitted  joints.  The  unprotected  blade  of  a  sharp  knife 
is  one  of  the  most  dangerous  tools,  and  very  unsafe  for  the  use  of  unskilled 
hands.  If  the  knife  is  not  sharp,  accurate  work  with  it  is  impossible. 

The  introduction  of  other  tools  would  greatly  increase  the  number  of 
possible  operations  and  would  permit  a  more  interesting  type  of  projects, 
thereby  strengthening  the  motive  power  of  the  work.  The  addition  of 
the  coping  saw  to  the  tools  to  be  used  would  greatly  increase  the  possible 
scope  of  the  work.  Coping-saw  work  offers  opportunity  for  making 
mechanical  toys,  three-ply  animals,  balancing  figures,  and  a  great  variety 
of  projects  which  appeal  strongly  to  the  dominant  interests  of  small  boys 
and  at  the  same  time  involve  serious  problems  in  mechanics.  Mechanical 
toys  offer  a  strong  motive  for  good  workmanship,  since  the  toys  must  be 


SURVEY  OP  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      133 

well  made  or  they  will  not  work.  Work  of  this  type  may  be  presented  in 
a  way  which  will  call  into  action  the  child's  best  thinking  powers.  Its 
best  values  are  lost  when  the  pupils  are  provided  with  accurately  pre- 
pared plans  exclusively.  It  is  often  better  to  exhibit  a  toy  which  they 
will  wish  to  make,  and  let  them  study  its  mechanics  and  work  out  plans 
of  their  own.  Variety  in  methods  and  dimensions  is  greatly  to  be  desired, 
and  attention  should  be  directed  to  the  value  of  one  solution  over  another 
through  a  comparison  and  criticism  of  results. 

These  courses  are  also  open  to  question  through  their  lack  of  oppor- 
tunity for  initiative.  If  it  is  accepted  that  technical  handwork  shall  de- 
velop ability  to  think  and  act  independently,  the  subject  matter  chosen 
must  in  some  measure  require  the  worker  to  compare,  choose  and  execute 
upon  his  own  responsibility.  When  a  definite  course  is  planned  by  the 
teacher,  and  the  pupil  merely  copies  jnodels,  opportunity  for  this  sort  of 
development  is  very  small.  Granting  that  there  is  much  to  be  gained 
in  intelligently  hearing  or  reading  directions  and  executing  them  with 
faithfulness  and  accuracy,  overemphasis  on  this  point  must  tend  to  one- 
sidedness.  The  well-rounded  course  must  allow  for  both  factors.  Fre- 
quently the  same  series  of  problems  may  be  made  more  fruitful  by  pre- 
senting a  blank  model  which  the  pupil  is  required  to  modify.  For  example, 
in  the  making  of  the  paper  knife — which  a  questionnaire  shows  to  be  the 
most  popular  model  in  the  sixth  grade — instead  of  requiring  each  pupil 
to  copy  one  design,  a  variety  of  designs  might  be  studied  to  find  out  which 
was  most  convenient  and  most  serviceable.  Sample  knives  brought  from 
home  would  add  to  the  general  interest.  After  this  study,  each  pupil 
might  design  and  make  a  knife.  While  there  probably  would  not  be  any 
very  great  variety  in  their  designs,  still  each  pupil  would  feel  his  product 
to  be  his  own,  into  which  he  had  put  himself.  This  would  add,  also,  to  the 
motive  power  of  the  problem — a  point  in  which  these  two  courses  are 
weak. 

RECOMMENDATIONS   FOR   GRADES   FIVE   AND    SIX. 

The  work  of  these  two  grades  may  profitably  include  work  in  paper 
and  cardboard,  such  as  the  making  of  boxes,  portfolios,  writing  pads,  etc. 
Work  of  this  sort  offers  abundant  opportunity  for  applying  and  strength- 
ening the  pupil's  knowledge  of  number  and  measurement.  It  also  offers 
a  field  for  applied  design.  As  far  as  possible,  the  pupils  should  be  al- 
lowed to  plan  the  articles  to  meet  their  individual  needs  and  tastes.  This 
does  not  mean  that  they  should  do  as  they  please  and  be  satisfied  with 
low  attainment,  but  rather  that  the  teacher  shall  watch  for  and  en- 
courage whatever  fruitful  ideas  are  expressed. 

Basketry  and  bookbinding  are  also  types  of  work  well  suited  to  these 
grades.  Some  work  in  these  fields  is  already  being  done  in  connection 
with  drawing,  and  is  greatly  enjoyed  by  the  children,  as  shown  by  their 
answers  to  the  questions,  "What  things  in  handwork  have  you  enjoyed 
most?"  and  "What  things  would  you  like  to  make  again?" 

Pottery  is  another  type  of  handwork  which  offers  problems  well  suited 
to  the  capacities  of  pupils  of  the  intermediate  and  upper  grades,  and 
which  can  be  easily  adjusted  to  the  conditions  of  the  regular  classroom. 


134  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

It  does,  however,  require  a  zinc-lined  cabinet  in  which  to  keep  unfinished 
work,  and  access  to  a  kiln  for  firing. 

Work  in  the  various  materials  used  throughout  the  grades  should  be 
organized  with  a  view  to  steady  progression  from  year  to  year.  For  ex- 
ample, the  making  of  simple  booklets  in  the  lower  grades  should  develop 
into  well-bound  books  in  the  upper  grades.  The  informal  use  of  paper  and 
cardboard  in  the  lower  grades  should  develop, by  easy  stages  into  ac- 
curately constructed  cardboard  work  in  the  fifth,  sixth  and  seventh 
grades. 

GRADES    SEVEN    AND   EIGHT. 

In  the  seventh  grade  shop  work  is  begun.  The  course  includes  a 
series  of  formal  exercises  in  joinery,  followed  by  practical  application  to 
such  projects  as  a  nail  box  and  knife  tray.  Definite  plans  are  provided 
for  these,  and  each  pupil  works  to  the  same  dimensions,  though  each 
makes  a  working  drawing  of  his  own. 

The  eighth-grade  work  includes  a  series  of  exercises  in  wood  turning, 
followed  by  a  series  of  projects  in  elementary  cabinetmaking,  such  as 
footstools,  taborets,  book  racks,  etc. 

The  boys  who  work  in  the  shop  take  turns  in  taking  charge  of  the  tool 
room.  This  gives  excellent  practice  in  systematic  care  of  the  tools  and  a 
broad  acquaintance  with  a  variety  of  tools  and  accessories. 

RECOMMENDATIONS   FOR  GRADES    SEVEN    AND   EIGHT. 

The  emphasis  in  these  courses  is  placed  on  accuracy  and  skill  in  tool 
practice,  and  some  excellent  pieces  of  work  are  turned  out.  The  use  of 
formal  exercises  at  the  beginning  of  the  course  is  open  to  question,  be- 
cause of  their  lack  of  motive  power  and  opportunity  for  initiative.  It  is 
easily  possible  to  select  a  variety  of  projects  which  have  a  strong  appeal 
to  boys  of  this  age  and  which  also  embody  the  fundamental  tool  processes. 
These  processes  may  be  more  effectively  taught  in  the  making  of  such  a 
project  than  in  an  exercise  which  consists  only  in  fitting  two  scraps  of 
wood  together.  It  is  possible  to  arrange  a  group  of  projects  for  each 
problem  in  tool  practice,  and  require  that  one  project  in  each  group  be 
made  by  each  boy.  This  allows  for  choice  in  line  with  the  worker's  in- 
terest. It  also  permits  varying  degrees  of  difficulty  in  execution,  which 
may  be  adjusted  to  the  varying  capacities  of  the  members  of  the  class, 
while  orderly  and  definite  progress  in  the  mastery  of  tools  is  still  main- 
tained. Among  the  possible  projects  may  be  noted  jumping  standards, 
hurdles  and  other  playground  apparatus,  kites,  sleds,  wagons,  camp  fur- 
niture, bird  houses,  water  wheels  and  windmills,  boxes  for  specific  uses, 
and  other  things  closely  related  to  the  daily  needs  of  the  boy.  Many  boys 
of  this  age  are  anxious  to  do  things  which  are  big  and  "grown  up."  In 
answer  to  the  question,  "What  would  you  like  to  make?"  there  is  a  strong 
vote  for  tables,  bookcases  and  porch  swings.  It  may  often  be  worth  while 
to  make  large  pieces  which  involve  simple  processes  only,  especially  when 
made  for  a  specific  purpose.  The  making  of  a  pine  table  of  simple  con- 
struction may  be,  in  its  place,  as  valuable  a  piece  of  construction  as  is  the 
mortised  table  of  oak  at  a  later  period. 

It  is  also  well  to  seize  upon  the  chance  needs  of  the  school,  which  offer 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      135 

an  incentive  to  service  as  well  as  practical  experience  in  work  which  must 
serve  a  definite  purpose.  Tables,  shelves  and  other  conveniences  for  the 
classroom,  looms  for  the  younger  children,  and  similar  needs,  offer  oppor- 
tunities which  justify  breaking  into  the  regular  course  of  work  for  a  time. 
The  kits  used  by  the  sixth  grade  would  have  made  an  excellent  problem, 
for  example,  if  the  need  could  have  been  foreseen  long  ejiough  ahead  for 
the  classes  to  work  upon  them.  Student  work  is  necessarily  slow,  and  the 
long  intervals  between  lessons  increases  the  time  that  must  be  allowed 
for  the  completion  of  a  piece  of  work.  A  job  of  this  sort,  requiring  dupli- 
cate pieces  and  accurate  workmanship,  offers  opportunity  for  acquainting 
the  boys  with  factory  methods  of  division  of  labor  and  the  time-saving 
process  of  specialization.  The  aquarium  in  the  Oak  Street  School,  built 
by  the  janitor,  is  another  example.  If  built  by  the  boys  it  might  have 
given  valuable  experience  in  cooperative  planning. 

A  course  in  handwork  should  provide,  also,  for  special  needs,  as  in  the 
case  of  pupils  who  work  more  rapidly  than  the  average  student.  One  l|oy 
was  found  working  upon  one  of  the  beginning  exercises,  who  explained 
that  he  had  made  a  table,  but  as  he  had  completed  the  course,  there 
seemed  to  be  nothing  to  do  but  start  at  the  beginning  and  repeat  it. 
Ability  and  industry  which  enable  a  boy  to  complete  a  course  in  less  than 
average  time  should  be  rewarded  and  encouraged  by  advanced  work  of  a 
particularly  interesting  type.  It  is  a  good  time,  when  his  wants  are 
reasonable,  to  let  him  make  what  he  "wants  to  make." 

It  is  suggested  that  the  course  be  enriched  by  occasional  projects  based 
upon  industrial  problems  of  immediate  interest,  such  as  the  building  of 
miniature  machines  and  mechanical  apparatus.  Such  work,  while  neces- 
sarily crude  and  imperfect  in  its  details,  involves  a  serious  study  of 
fundamental  principles  and  a  careful  adjustment  of  parts.  For  example, 
the  beginners  in  shopwork  in  the  sixth  grade  of  the  Horace  Mann  School 
in  New  York  City  made  water  wheels,  different  boys  making  different 
types  of  wheels.  Later  they  set  up  a  miniature  factory  with  a  number 
of  small  machines,  each  made  by  a  small  group.  When  the  belts  and 
shafting  were  all  in  place,  a  water  wheel  was  attached  and  the  power 
turned  on.  Needless  to  say,  many  trials  were  made  and  much  studying 
of  cause  and  effect  was  needed  before  the  small  factory  was  in  good 
running  order.  Many  visits  to  real  factories  were  made,  and  all  helpful 
literature  studied  with  deep  interest.  Among  other  projects  carried  out 
in  the  same  school  were  the  building  of  a  freight  station  of  reinforced 
concrete,  with  tracks  and  cars,  and  the  manufacturing  of  an  electric 
street  car,  which  was  made  to  travel  around  a  six-foot  circle  of  hand- 
made track  by  power  transmitted  through  a  small  handmade  dynamo. 
Work  of  this  type  tends  to  awaken  an  intelligent  interest  in  the  big 
fundamental  principles  underlying  mechanics  and  to  stimulate  a  desire 
to  know  more  and  become  more  skillful.  In  these  points  it  offers  a  better 
preparation  for  later  study  and  practice  in  technical  processes  than  much 
of  the  more  formal  work  common  in  school  courses.  In  the  one  the  pupils 
are  generally  active,  alert,  thoughtful  and  resourceful.  In  the  other  they 
are  often  passive,  waiting  for  directions,  and  they  lean  heavily  upon  the 
teacher  instead  of  depending  upon  themselves.  In  this  newer  type  of 


136  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

work  the  pupil  has  a  problem  to  solve  and  must  bear  much  of  the  respon- 
sibility for  its  solution.  It  permits  individual  initiative  and  supplies  a 
strong  motive  for  work,  because  the  pupil  is  able  to  express  his  own  ideas 
freely  and  is  interested  in  what  he  is  doing.  The  older  type  of  work  is 
often  formal  and  mechanical.  It  is  often  weak  in  motive  power,  and 
opportunity  for  individual  initiative  is  almost  wholly  lacking,  because  the 
pupil  has  only  to  follow  plans  and  directions  prepared  by  the  teacher. 
The  teacher,  rather  than  the  pupil,  does  the  thinking. 

Whether  handwork  is  to  be  taught  as  a  means  of  general  culture  or 
with  a  definite  vocational  aim,  it  will  fail  of  its  purpose  if  the  thought 
side  is  neglected.  The  mechanic  who  works  with  his  head  as  well  as 
his  hands  is  the  man  who  succeeds.  Unless  the  work  is  so  planned  that 
the  pupil  must  think  his  way  through  a  process,  much  of  its  cultural 
value  will  be  lost.  Mere  ability  to  construct,  under  careful  supervision, 
a  hammer  handle  which  is  worth  only  a  few  cents  in  the  market  may 
beta  very  empty  accomplishment.  On  the  other  hand,  a  study  of  pat- 
terns and  materials,  followed  by  a  choice  of  the  most  suitable,  and  the 
planning  and  shaping  of  the  hammer  handle  to  the  needs  of  the  person 
who  is  to  use  it,  may  bring  about  a  brain-stretching  which  parallels 
the  muscular  development  to  be  gained  through  the  mastery  of  the 
tools.  Whether  these  more  important  values  are  to  be  secured  depends 
upon  the  method  of  teaching  even  more  than  upon  the  choice  of  sub- 
ject matter. 

It  is  further  suggested  that  greater  use  be  made  of  the  type  of  work 
described  as  illustrative  handwork.  Such  work  is  largely  the  province 
of  the  regular  teacher,  to  be  used  by  her  when  it  offers  the  best  means 
of  effectively  presenting  a  topic.  Its  value  depends  chiefly  upon  the 
extent  to  which  the  work  becomes  to  each  pupil  a  real  problem  in 
which  he  feels  personal  responsibility  for  the  solution. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      137 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

PHYSICAL  TRAINING  IN  THE  GRADES. 

Walter  B.  Smith. 

THREE  kinds  of  physical  training  are  needed  in  the  grades.  The  first 
and  most  fundamental  is  play.  The  second  is  calisthenic  or  gymnastic 
drill.  The  third  is  corrective  and  remedial  work.  Each  of  these  has  its 
proper  place  and  should  be  assigned  that  place  in  a  well-regulated  school 
program. 

In  regard  to  the  first  of  these,  it  may  be  said  that  play  has  always 
been  regarded  as  the  central  feature  of  child  life.  Our  schools  long 
overlooked  this  primary  fact.  It  was  only  recently,  with  the  coming 
of  the  kindergarten  and  its  influence  upon  the  grades,  that  the  basic 
principle  of  child  development  was  given  any  proper  place  in  the  school 
curriculum.  Even  yet  it  makes  its  way  slowly  up  through  the  primary 
grades,  gradually  losing  its  hold  through  the  intermediate  and  advanced 
grades.  And  as  this  fundamental  basis  of  child  growth  is  lost  sight  of, 
the  work  of  the  school  becomes  less  vital  to  the  child's  life,  less  effective 
in  securing  the  child's  interest  and  intensive  effort,  and  more  irksome 
to  both  child  and  teacher.  No  child  wants  to  quit  the  kindergarten,  few 
care  to  quit  the  primary  grades,  but  as  the  child  is  gradually  lost  sight 
of  in  a  logically  arranged  course  of  studies  which  we  older  people,  from 
our  superior  heights,  try  to  force  down  upon  him,  he  loses  interest, 
ceases  to  strive,  and  our  national  records  show  that  at  least  seven  out 
of  eight  drop  out  of  our  educational  mill  before  they  leave  the  grades. 

THEORIES   CONCERNING  PLAY. 

The  attitude  toward  play  which  leads  to  our  present  varied  treat- 
ment of  it  may  be  analyzed  into  three  theories  regarding  it.  The  first 
is  that  it  is  dangerous — an  unavoidable  evil  which  should  be  restricted 
as  far  as  possible.  The  second  is  that  it  is  natural,  harmless  and  use- 
less, and  that  the  child  does  not  need  training  for  it.  The  third  is 
that  it  is  a  fundamental  means  of  training  for  life,  and  hence  it  is 
the  proper  point  of  departure  for  all  education.  The  first  is  puritanism 
and  has  been  discarded;  the  second  dominates  the  public  mind  and  the 
traditional  school;  and  the  third  has  made  the  kindergarten,  now  rules 
the  primary  grades,  and  «is  rapidly  revolutionizing  the  work  of  the 
upper  grades. 

This  broader  view  of  play  as  the  dominant  characteristic  of  the 
child  calls  for  serious  treatment  of  it  in  every  phase  of  school  work. 
He  takes  play  seriously,  and  if  we  take  him  seriously  we  must  do  the 
same.  Every  movement  in  dealing  with  the  child  must  be  from  his 
central  interest  outwards.  We  must  build  upon  what  he  is,  not  upon 
what  we  hope  he  is  to  become.  We  have  learned  this  in  teaching  him 
the  abstract  subjects  of  reading,  writing  and  numbers;  but,  strangely, 
after  discarding  the  purely  disciplinary  idea  elsewhere,  we  have  clung 
to  it  in  physical  training,  which  is  the  most  concrete  and  natural  field 


138  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

for  avoiding  it.  Play  should"  be  made  the  solid  foundation  upon  which 
to  build  all  physical  education;  but  it  is  not  generally  so  well  founded 
in  our  public  schools,  nor,  as  we  shall  see,  is  it  in  Leavenworth. 

GYMNASTICS. 

The  second  kind  of  physical  training  to  be  expected  is  calisthenic  or 
gymnastic  drill.  For  this  the  body  is  divided  up  into  sections  and 
scientifically  analyzed.  A  logical  series  of  exercises  is  prescribed, 
which,  if  gone  through  with,  guarantee  the  exercise  of  all  parts  of  the 
body.  Coordinated  movements  are  arranged  for  and  enforced  by  drill. 
These  coordinations  start  in  simple  movements  and  grow  complex  as 
the  pupil  progresses.  They  call  for  concentrated  attention,  obedience, 
correct  posture,  and  abundant  and  varied  muscular  and  organic  exer- 
cise. Used  in  proper  proportion,  and  well  taught,  calisthenics  form  a 
valuable  adjunct  to  play  in  physical  culture.  But  there  is  constant  dan- 
ger of  the  drill  becoming  mere  drudgery,  in  which  case  the  educational 
value  largely  disappears.  Motives  appealing  to  the  child,  and  a  moderate 
amount  o£  initiative,  must  be  obtained  to  keep  the  set  exercises  edu- 
cative. 

CORRECTIVE   PHYSICAL   TRAINING. 

The  third  type  of  physical  training  needed  is  remedial  and  cor- 
rective. Physical  defects  and  constitutional  weaknesses  are  generally 
enhanced  by  neglect.  We  prefer  to  exercise  our  strong  muscles,  organs 
and  aptitudes  to  the  neglect  of  the  weaker  ones.  This  may  intensify 
the  native  weakness.  To  prevent  such  specialization,  corrective  work 
should  begin  while  the  pupil  is  young.  Calisthenics  and  gymnastics,  by 
exercising  the  whole  human  mechanism,  are  partly  remedial,  but  they 
are  not  sufficient.  The  full  purpose  and  value  of  physical-training 
work  can  not  be  realized  until  supervisors  are  able  to  give  physical 
examinations  and  prescribe  corrective  work.  Such  examinations  and 
prescriptions  are  frequently  given  in  collegiate  work.  They  are  more 
needed  in  earlier  years,  but  probably  it  is  too  much  to  expect  of  public 
schools  that  they  do  scientific  corrective  work  at  present.  But  physical 
training  should  look  ever  toward  it  as  an  ideal. 

We  are  now  ready  to  apply  these  three  tests — play,  calisthenics,  and 
corrective  gymnastics — to  the  physical-training  work  of  the  Leaven- 
worth  Public  Schools.  By  them  it  is  to  be  measured,  not  judged. 

THE   COURSE  OF   STUDY. 

A  careful  analysis  of  the  outline  of  work  in  physical  training  shows 
much  that  is  commendable,  but  to  harmonize  it  with  the  ideas  previously 
advanced  it  needs  revision  at  three  points.  Since  these  weaknesses,  as 
the  writer  considers  them,  are  quite  general  over  the  country,  and  are 
not  eliminated  in  Leavenworth  practice,  they  need  to  be  pointed  out. 

The  first  one  is  in  the  idea  embodied  in  the  use  of  the  term  "physical 
development."  We  have  given  up  the  term  "intellectual  development"  as 
synonymous  with  education.  It  expresses  only  one  phase  of  the  broad 
significance  now  attached  to  the  educational  process.  But  physical  train- 
ing is  new  in  our  schools,  and  the  old,  narrow  conception  dominates  the 
public  mind  regarding  it.  "Physical  development"  indicates  that  a  sound 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      139 

body  is  all  that  is  to  be  striven  for  in  physical  education.  A  strong  and 
healthy  body  is  eminently  worth  while;  but  true  physical  education  means 
far  more.  It  means  the  utilization  of  the  youthful  love  of  physical  activity 
for  education  in  its  broader  aspects.  If  we  are  to  build  our  school  pro- 
gram upon  the  child  as  he  is — and  all  our  present  educational  theories 
demand  that  we  do — then  wide  use  must  be  made  of  his  love  of  play  and 
exercise.  Physical  training  reacts  so  intimately  and  powerfully  upon 
mental  and  moral  training  that  mere  physical  development  should  be 
only  one  feature  of  it.  An  adequate  conception  of  the  value  of  play  is 
shown  in  the  statement  of  the  course  of  study  for  the  primary  grades,  but 
this  conception  should  be  specifically  dealt  with  when  outlining  physical 
education. 

The  second  feature  of  the  outline  needing  revision  is  the  "aims"  of 
physical  education.  In  the  six  aims  stated  in  the  course  of  study  there 
is  no  hint  of  social  or  moral  values  to  be  obtained.  They  are  previously 
pointed  out  with  reference  to  the  primary  grades,  however.  Health, 
growth,  order  and  exactness,  alertness  and  quick  reaction,  endurance,  are 
to  be  developed.  Nothing  is  said  about  cooperation  and  fellowship,  which 
can  be  more  easily  stimulated  in  team  games  than  anywhere  else  in  life. 
No  mention  is  made  of  the  primary  ideals  of  loyalty,  love  or  fair  play, 
chivalry  in  victory  and  cheerfulness  in  defeat,  which  are  the  natural  out- 
growth of  a  properly  used  playground.  Nor  is  there  any  mention  of 
obedience  or  self-control — the  largest  educational  returns  from  gym- 
nastic drill. 

The  third  revision  needed  is  in  the  emphasis  placed  upon  gymnastic 
drill.  This  might  seem  to  be  justified  by  the  lack  of  playgrounds  about 
the  school  buildings.  But  a  closer  analysis  shows  that  to  be  one  of  the 
very  reasons  for  shifting  the  emphasis.  Most  of  our  national  and  in- 
herited games  call  for  a  large  amount  of  space.  When  this  can  not  be 
had  there  is  all  the  more  reason  for  teaching  games  that  can  be  used  on 
small  playgrounds  and  which  call  for  the  same  coordinations,  the  same 
ingenuity  and  dexterity,  the  same  mental,  moral  and  physical  powers 
demanded  by  the  regulation  games  American  children  are  in  the  habit  of 
playing.  Baseball,  football,  basket  ball,  dare  base,  running,  leaping  and 
throwing  games,  call  for  space.  And,  since  this  is  not  to  be  had  in 
Leavenworth  at  present,  children  should  be  taught  other  games  which  pro- 
duce the  same  development  that  makes  the  above-mentioned  games  so 
valuable.  Indoor  baseball,  volley  ball,  tether  ball,  basket  ball  and  a 
large  number  of  similar  games  now  being  taught  in  physical-training 
schools  meet  these  demands. 

So  the  excuse  generally  offered  by  school  authorities  for  placing  most 
of  the  stress  on  calisthenics  can  not  justify  it.  Simple  gymnastic  drill  ten 
minutes  a  day  is  merely  scratching  the  surface  of  a  rich  field  of  useful- 
ness. The  school  yard  is  properly  mentioned  in  the  course  of  study  as 
the  preferred  place  for  these  exercises,  but  the  brevity  of  a  ten-minute 
period  might  easily  lead  to  the  use  of  study  rooms  or  corridors  in  place 
of  the  yard.  The  course  of  study  might  profitably  be  revised,  much  en- 
larged in  scope  and  suggestion,  and  means  of  correlation  with  other 
phases  of  teaching  work  pointed  out.  This  can  easily  be  done  without 


140  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

sacrificing  any  of  the  idea  of  health  and  physical  development.  In  fact, 
the  effectiveness  of  physical  training  in  promoting  health  and  longevity 
depends  to  a  large  extent  upon  its  harmonious  adjustment  to  other 
phases  of  school  work  and  the  life  that  is  to  follow. 

FACILITIES   IN   LEAVENWORTH. 

Leavenworth  has  a  well-trained  and  efficient  part-time  supervisor  of 
physical  training.  Each  room  is  met  at  least  every  two  weeks.  Several 
classes  in  calisthenics  were  observed.  Some  were  directed  by  the  regu- 
lar teachers  and  some  by  the  supervisor.  Also  a  full  list  of  the  ex- 
ercises prescribed  for  the  current  year  from  its  beginning  until  April  1, 
including  all  the  grades  from  one  to  eight,  were  examined.  A  typical 
one,  to  be  practiced  ten  minutes  a  day  for  two  weeks,  follows : 

PHYSICAL  DEVELOPMENT. 

GRADE  7. — DUMB-BELLS.     LESSON  6. 

1.  HOPPING:    Hop  011  the  ball  of  left  foot  8  times  while  making  a  complete  turn  to  the 

left,  quickly  change  on  the  right  and  turn  right  about,  each  in  8  counts. 

2.  Raise  arms  forward  and  lower  (1-2).     Same  sideward  and  lower  (3-4). 

3.  Raise  heels   and  bells  on   shoulders   and  return    (1-2).      Dip  left  sideward   and  raise 

arms  to  the  left  sideward  and  return    (3-4). 

4.  March  forward  4  steps    (1-4).      Face  left  in  4  steps    (5-8).      Bells  on  shoulders    (9). 

Straighten   upward    (10),    on   shoulders    (11).      Lower   arms    (12).      Repeat   arm 
exercise   (13-16).     Do  4  times. 

5.  Bells    on    hips    (place).      Lower    trunk    forward    and    straighten    arms    sideward    and 

return  (1-2).     Elevate  chest  and  straighten  arms  upward  and  return  (3-4). 

6.  Point  step  and  raise  arms  forward  (1).     Raise  left  knee  and  move  arms  sideward  (2). 

Return  movement   (3-4).      Same  right    (1-4). 

7.  Stride  left  sideward  and  bells  on  hips   (1).     Bend  left  knee  trunk  left  and  straighten 

arms  upward   (2).     Return  movement   (3-4).     Same  to  the  right   (1-4). 
GAME. — Toss  Chase  Ball.     Form  a  large  front  circle,  standing  close  together.     Medicine 
or  basket  ball  may  be  used.     A  pupil  stands  in  the  center.      Some  one  in  the  circle  will 
have  a  ball,  who  will  toss  it  to  some  one  else.     While  this  is  done  the  one  in  the  center  will 
•  try  and  touch  the  ball ;  if  so,  those  two  will  change  places,  etc. 

Many  of  the  exercises  prescribed  were  quite  properly  without  appa- 
ratus. Some  were  without  the  game  at  the  end.  The  apparatus  at  hand 
consisted  mainly  of  dumb-bells,  Indian  clubs,  and  wands.  The  games 
were  generally  very  simple  ones,  not  calling  for  thought  or  special  inge- 
nuity, and  were  evidently  given  to  produce  an  exhilarating  finish  to  the 
less  interesting  drill.  Simple  games  would  be  necessary  if  put  at  the  end 
of  a  brief  ten-minute  period.  No  suggestion  of  alternating  the  game  and 
calisthenics  was  observed,  and  the  evidence  indicated  that  the  game  was 
not  featured  as  educational;  nor  was  it  given  at  all  with  any  degree  of 
regularity,  as  the  writer  found  when  he  wanted  to  see  one. 

THE  VALUE  OF   PHYSICAL  DRILL. 

The  value  of  a  certain  amount  of  physical  drill  is  not  to  be  questioned, 
however,  if  taken  under  educational  conditions.  It  is  intensity  of  effort 
that  develops.  But  it  may  well  be  doubted  whether  calisthenics  as  an  end, 
given  to  the  count  of  1,  2,  3,  4,  1,  2,  3,  4,  without  any  motive,  can  produce 
intensity  of  effort,  either  mental,  moral  or  physical.  Yet  drill,  as  a  means 
to  an  end,  can  be  made  intensive,  as  shown  by  the  annual  field  meets. 
They  are  given  the  last  of  April  and  provide  an  excellent  temporary 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      141 

motive.  Competitive  drills  or  public  exhibitions  have  the  same  effect. 
But  the  pupil's  interest  in  the  perfection  of  the  coordinations  called  for 
must  be  present  to  make  the  drill  educative,  and  that  is  impossible  while 
using  calisthenics  as  the  sole  means,  or  health  or  rounded  development 
as  an  end.  The  pupil,  as  pointed  out  by  Dr.  Frank  A.  McMurray,  is  not 
bothering  about  his  health ;  "he  would  be  in  an  unhealthy  state  of  mind 
if  he  were."  He  is  not  willing  to  put  forth  much  effort  for  the  purpose 
of  obtaining  a  sound  mind  in  a  sound  body.  Activity,  life,  struggle,  he 
loves.  But  the  end  must  be  in  view,  even  as  with  an  older  person.  Calis- 
thenics are  useful  in  proportion  as  they  can  be  organized  so  that  the 
pupil  may  have  a  present  motive  or  purpose,  be  allowed  some  decision  and 
initiative,  and  work  at  all  times  with  some  desirable  end  definitely  in 
view.  This  means  that  instead  of  being  the  foundation  of  physical  edu- 
cation, gymnastic  drill  should  be  merely  one  of  the  pillars  supporting  the 
superstructure. 

CHANGES   NEEDED. 

If  the  physical  training  offered  in  our  schools — and  the  Leavenworth 
schools  are  typical  in  this  respect — is  to  fulfill  its  highest  purpose,  three 
things  need  to  be  done.  First,  the  periods  should  be  lengthened.  If  time 
is  at  such  a  premium  the  periods  might  be  put  farther  apart.  It  is  stated 
in  the  course  of  study  that  this  work  is  not  to  take  the  place  of  recesses, 
and  it  can  not.  So  enough  time  should  be  taken  each  period  to  teach 
something  worth  while.  Other  recitation  periods,  even  for  the  minor 
studies,  are  at  least  double  the  length  of  the  period  of  gymnastics.  And 
yet,  if  physical  training  is  well  done,  who  would  maintain  that  it  is  of 
less  importance  than  other  studies  of  the  curriculum?  Lengthening  the 
period,  then,  is  the  first  essential  of  a  more  effective  physical-education 
program. 

The  second  essential  is  that  special  rooms  must  be  provided  where  the 
extra  noise  of  this  work  will  not  interfere  with  other  rooms,  and  where 
there  is  sufficient  free  space  for  marching,  dancing  and  the  more  complex 
games.  Fortunately,  this  can  be  done  in  several  of  the  buildings,  and  is 
being  planned  for  in  the  repairs  to  be  made  during  the  coming  summer. 
The  Staff  are  united  in  the  belief  that  this  is  one  of  the  prime  essentials 
calling  for  the  careful  attention  of  the  architect,  the  board,  and  the  super- 
vising force  of  the  schools.  Little  of  the  work  really  needed  can  be  done 
with  the  present  unsatisfactory  provisions  and  equipment. 

The  third  essential  is  a  revision  of  the  emphasis  placed  upon  the  rela- 
tive values  of  the  work  offered  as  physical  training.  The  play  element 
must  receive  much  more  attention.  Routine  drill  is  merely  the  a-b  ab, 
e-b  eb  of  physical  education.  It  has  the  same  relation  to  physical  culture 
that  spelling  drill  has  to  reading,  number  drill  to  arithmetic,  and  date 
drill  to  history.  Swinging  an  Indian  club  has  little  more  educational 
value  than  swinging  an  ax  or  a  hoe.  The  whole  set  of  light-apparatus 
drill  provides  little  more  physical  training  than  "doing  the  chores,"  and 
much  less  moral  value.  What  is  needed  is  stimulus  and  heroic  effort. 

Compare  them  for  a  moment  with  the  game  of  basket  ball.  Basket 
ball  calls  for  speed,  agility,  manual  dexterity,  endurance,  deep  breathing, 
all  sorts  of  coordinations  and  accuracy,  and  the  exercise  of  every  part  of 


142  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

the  body.  On  the  mental  side  it  demands  initiative,  quick  thinking,  judg- 
ment, decision,  and  the  varied  technique  of  team  work.  On  the  moral 
side  it  requires  control  of  the  temper,  fairness  to  opponents,  cooperation 
with  associates,  and  self-sacrifice  for  the  good  of  the  team.  Every  physi- 
cal, mental,  and  moral  power  is  exercised  intensively,  educatively,  and 
the  pupil  is  trained  in  the  sort  of  reactions  called  for  in  the  social,  politi- 
cal and  business  world. 

What  is  true  of  basket  ball  is  true  of  other  highly  organized  team 
games.  But  it  may  be  said  that  this  is  too  strenuous  for  a  large  number 
of  pupils,  especially  the  girls.  Does  not  every  teacher  plead  for  intensive 
work  along  his  line?  Do  not  all  boys  and  girls  love  strenuous  work?  Is 
not  that  the  way  they  play  on  the  playgrounds?  Moreover,  all  do  not 
need  to  play  all  the  games.  One  of  the  great  purposes  of  a  supervisor  is 
to  see  that  they  do  not.  Pupils  may  be  graded  in  their  games,  as  in  other 
parts  of  the  curriculum,  according  to  their  needs  and  abilities. 

Games,  however,  are  not  all.  Folk  dancing  and  other  emotionally 
expressive  physical  exercises  have  all  the  cultural  value  attributed  above 
to  team  games.  They  call  for  varied  mental  and  moral  as  well  as  physical 
exercises.  Intensive  effort  is  obtainable.  Motive,  organization,  initiative 
and  physical  self-control  are  all  provided  for.  They  are  truly  educative, 
and  gymnastic  drill  can  be  only  when  founded  upon  the  same  child  in- 
terest and  calling  for  the  same  varied  efforts  present  in  the  game  and  the 
folk  dance. 

CORRELATION   WITH   OTHER   STUDIES. 

Still  another  feature,  already  developed  to  some  extent  in  the  Leaven- 
worth  schools,  should  be  emphasized.  Physical  training  should  be  corre- 
lated with  other  phases  of  school  work.  A  nature-study  trip  into  the 
country  is  excellent  physical  training.  They  are  suggested  in  the  course 
of  study  for  grades  1,  2  and  3,  but  are  as  valuable  later  in  the  course. 
A  walking  trip  to  a  track  meet  or  baseball  game  or  to  the  golf  links,  with 
explanations  to  pupils,  is  likewise  educative.  These  stimulate  an  interest 
in  physical  training  and  health-giving  exercises  that  will  be  carried  into 
real  life.  Above  all,  the  physical-training  work  should  be  linked  up  with 
playground  supervision.  What  is  taught  in  the  classroom  should  function 
on  the  playground  at  recess  time.  The  games  should  there  be  practiced 
under  pupil  initiative  and  control.  Contests  of  various  kinds,  demanding 
all  sorts  of  qualities,  and  graded  according  to  size  and  strength  and  in- 
genuity, should  be  encouraged.  School  athletics  and  physical  training 
should  also  be  linked  with  the  summer  playground  work  recommended 
elsewhere. 

One  of  the  interesting  observations  in  Leavenworth  was  that  two 
of  the  three  large  schools  have  almost  no  playgrounds.  They  are  built 
upon  city  lots  with  just  a  few  feet  of  space  to  the  sidewalks.  In  each 
of  these  buildings  the  observer  found  a  strong  effort  to  cultivate  the 
recess  period.  The  grounds  were  well  supervised,  the  teachers  played 
with  the  children  at  times,  and  seemed  to  feel  the  same  responsibility 
for  the  educational  use  of  this  time  as  of  the  other  school  time.  With 
heavy  handicaps,  much  was  being  done.  The  third  of  these  larger 
buildings  has  ample  playgrounds,  being  built  near  the  center  of  a 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      143 

whole  block.  This  school  was  having  no  recesses  at  all  at  the  time  the 
survey  was  being  made.  This  was  doubtless  temporary,  but  it  indi- 
cated too  little  attempt  to  make  use  of  the  play  instinct  of  the  child  in 
his  education. 

Moreover,  the  patronage  of  this  school  is  mainly  of  the  middle  and 
poorer  classes,  where  the  houses  are  small,  lawns  wanting,  play  space 
cramped,  and  home  conditions  frequently  unfavorable.  All  these  to- 
gether form  a  basis  for  the  most  effective  use  of  play  and  other  forms 
of  physical  training.  School  spirit  and  loyalty  could  be  built  up  around 
the  playground.  The  lack  of  brightness  and  cheer  in  many  of  the  homes 
could  be  partly  counteracted  in  the  school.  Many  a  boy  and  girl  could 
thus  be  saved  from  dropping  out  of  school  and  from  going  out  into  the 
life  of  Leavenworth  unprepared  to  spend  his  leisure  time  in  clean 
recreations  or  his  work  time  in  remunerative  employment.  Jacob  A. 
Riis  has  truly  said  that  "the  boy  without  a  playground  is  father  to  the 
man  without  a  job." 

FORMING   THE    HABIT   OF   PLAY. 

While  questioning  the  value  of  the  emphasis  placed  upon  drill  in  the 
physical-training  work  in  Leavenworth,  the  writer  is  glad  to  point  out 
that  what  is  attempted  is  well  done.  The  drills  observed  were  more 
than  perfunctory.  The  pupils  were  developing  some  valuable  coordina- 
tions and  couple  movements.  But  it  is  a  little  hard  to  imagine  them 
following  up  these  activities  in  after  life.  Gymnastic  drill,  if  indulged 
in  in  later  years,  remains  a  conscious  effort,  while  games  stimulate 
an  unfailing  interest  that  brightens  life,  even  though  they  be  discarded 
as  a  means  of  recreation.  But  they  will  not  all  be  discarded  if  the 
habit  of  play  is  developed  during  youth.  The  mad  rush  of  American 
life  needs  to  be  checked  by  wholesome  recreation.  Our  athletic  revival 
during  the  past  two  decades  has  already  done  much  to  relieve  the  strain 
and  nervousness  of  our  people.  Its  further  extension  into  the  ele- 
mentary schools  will  do  much  to  give  to  all  of  our  public-school  children 
much  of  the  valuable  training  now  obtained  by  higher-class  English- 
men. Concerning  their  training  Doctor  Curtis  says: 

"One  of  the  best  things  about  the  system  of  physical  education  in  the 
typical  English  preparatory  and  public  school  is  that  the  students  are 
supposed  to  get  out  and  play  every  afternoon,  as  soon  as  their  lessons 
are  over.  These  exercises  are  practically  required  up  to  the  sixth  form 
in  the  public  school,  and  by  that  time  the  habit  has  been  so  well  estab- 
lished that  the  student  continues  to  play  during  his  university  course 
and  probably  during  the  rest  of  his  life,  from  the  force  of  this  early 
custom." 

PLAY   AS   A   PREVENTIVE   OF   DISORDER. 

One  other  point  remains  to  be  mentioned.  It  was  pointed  out  in 
the  analysis  of  Leavenworth  that  organized  amusements  were  lacking. 
The  gaming  spirit,  which  is  perfectly  natural  and  highly  useful,  must 
be  properly  directed  or  it  will  find  an  outlet  in  illegitimate  channels. 
One's  taste  in  games  should  be  cultivated  as  carefully  as  his  taste  in 
literature.  One's  recreations  should  be  as  clean  as  his  business  trans- 
actions. McMurray  well  says:  "Physical  training  should  develop  an 
interest  in  play,  a  knowledge  of  games,  and  a  skill  in  them,  that  will 


144  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

permanently  identify  one  with  healthy  sport,  just  as  literature  should 
develop  a  taste  for  reading  and  nature  study  a  permanent  enjoyment 
of  plants  and  animals." 

If  Leavenworth  or  any  other  city  is  to  close  up  evil  resorts  of  all 
kinds  there  is  no  better  way  to  go  about  it  than  to  provide  legitimate 
amusements  to  undermine  them.  If  they  are  to  be  eliminated  in  the 
future,  a  generation  of  citizens  must  be  trained  up  who  know  how  to 
amuse  themselves  in  a  better  way.  If  proper  athletic  and  play  interest 
are  stimulated  in  the  schools,  the  future  city  will  not  be  without  golf 
links,  baseball  parks,  public  tennis  courts,  supervised  playgrounds,  and 
the  varied  paraphernalia  necessary  to  provide  healthful  physical  rec- 
reation as  a  preventive  of  disorder,  vice,  stagnation,  and  sentimental- 
ism.  No  better  moral  and  governmental  and  business  investment  can 
be  made  by  Leavenworth  than  that  in  additional  play  stimulus  and 
facilities.  And  the  best  place  to  begin,  in  order  to  get  far-reaching 
effects,  is  in  the  elementary  schools. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      145 


CHAPTER  XX. 

READING  AND  LITERATURE. 

Minnie  E.  Porter. 

No  ATTEMPT  was  made  in  this  Survey  to  determine  the  reading  rate 
of  the  pupils.  The  test  which  Mr.  Courtis  has  recently  offered  would 
be  an  interesting  and  valuable  problem  of  study  for  the  teachers.  It 
is  recognized  that  the  value  of  reading  as  a  tool  is  largely  dependent 
upon  the  rate  of  reading  as  well  as  upon  the  ability  to  understand  what 
is  read. 

THE  COURSE  OF   STUDY. 

The  program  for  the  teaching  of  reading  provides  for  the  use  of  the 
state  textbooks,  Studies  in  Reading,  by  Searson  and  Martin.  The  Fourth 
Reader  is  used  in  grade  four  and  the  Fifth  Reader  in  grade  five.  As  no 
textbook  is  prescribed  for  grades  six,  seven  and  eight,  the  superintendent 
and  teachers  are  free  to  select  literature  suitable  for  reading  in  these 
grades.  In  their  choice  they  have  recognized  the  sources  of  interest  in 
the  reading  of  pupils  of  this  age.  We  find  such  selections  as  "The  Pied 
Piper  of  Hamelin"  and  "Rip  Van  Winkle"  in  grade  six;  "Miles  Standish," 
Cooper's  "Tales"  and  the  "Oregon  Trail"  in  grade  seven;  "Evangeline," 
"The  Lady  of  the  Lake"  and  "Julius  Caesar"  in  grade  eight. 

The  use  of  supplementary  readers  in  the  schools  of  Kansas  is  pro- 
hibited by  state  law.  As  a  result  of  what  is  assumed  to  be  an  effort  to 
safeguard  the  interests  of  the  people  of  the  state,  a  serious  limitation  has 
been  placed  upon  the  education  of  boys  and  girls  in  Leavenworth.  The 
school  authorities  of  Leavenworth  have  made  a  commendable  effort  to 
overcome  this  limitation  upon  the  reading  of  boys  and  girls  by  establish- 
ing a  circulating  library,  for  which  they  are  making  liberal  provisions. 
They  are  in  sets  of  thirty  volumes,  each  set  in  a  box.  These  acts  are 
kept  at  the  office  and  sent  out  to  teachers  upon  application. 

GRADE  IV. 

Story  of  Holmes.     Literature. 
Story  of  La  Salle.     History. 
Story  of  Longfellow.     Literature. 
De  Soto.     History. 
Marquette.     History. 
Story  of  Boone.     History. 
Pioneers  of  the  West.     History. 
Fremont  and  Carson.     History. 

Stories  and  Rhymes  of  Woodland.     I.     Literature  and  Science. 
Stories  and  Rhymes  of  Woodland.     II.     Literature  and  Science. 
Story  of  Coal.     Science. 
Story  of  Wheat.     Science. 
Story  of  Cotton.     Science. 
Story  of  Printing.     Science. 

American  Inventors.      (Whitney  and  Fulton.)      Science.       I. 
American  Inventors.      (Morse  and  Edison.)      Science.     II. 
Night  Before  Christinas,  and  Other  Christmas  Poems.     Literature. 

—10 


146  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

GRADE  V. 

The  Miraculous  Pitcher.     Literature.     Hawthorne. 
Audubon.     Science. 
Nathan  Hale.     History. 
Story  of  Sugar.     Science. 
What  We  Drink.     Science. 
Story  of  Canada.     History. 
Story  of  Mexico.     History. 
Story  of  Steam.     Science. 
Story  of  the  Flag.     History. 
Stories  from  Robin  Hood.     Literature. 

GRADE  VI. 

King  of  the  Golden  River.     Literature. 
'     Rab  and  His  Friends.     Literature. 

We  are  Seven,  and  Other  Poems.     Literature. 
Lady  of  the  Lake.     Conto  I.     Literature. 
Declaration  of  Independence.     History. 
Thanatopsis,  and  Other  Poems.     Literature. 
Snow  Image.     Literature. 

Gifts  of  the  Forest.  (Rubber,  Chincona,  Resin.)  Science. 
Great  European  Cities.  (London  and  Paris.)  Geography. 
Great  European  Cities.  (Rome  and  Berlin.)  Geography. 

Great  European  Cities.       (St.    Petersburg   and   Constantinople.)      Geography. 
Heroes  of  the  Revolution.     History- 
Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition.     Histoi'y- 

GRADE  VII. 

Story  of  Macbeth.     Literature. 
Philip  of  Pokanoket.     Literature.     Irving. 
Lady  of  the  Lake.     Canto  II.     Literature.     Scott. 
Snow-bound.     Literature.      Whittier. 
The  Gray  Champion.     Literature.     Hawthorne. 
The  Oregon  Trail.     History.     Parkman. 

GRADE  VIII. 

The  Deserted  Village.     Literature.     Goldsmith. 
As  You  Like  It.     Literature.     Shakespeare. 
Lady  of  the  Lake.      Literature.      Scott. 

Canto  III. 

Canto  IV. 

Canto  V. 

Canto  VI. 

The  Cotter's  Saturday  Night.     Literature.     Burns. 
Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel.      Literature.      Scott. 
Building  of  the  Ship,  and  Other  Poems.     Literature.     Longfellow. 

THE   TEACHING   OF   READING. 

For  constructive  recommendations  for  the  teaching  of  reading  in 
Leavenworth,  illustrations  have  been  found  for  each  point  in  exceptionally 
good  work  seen  during  observation  in  the  classrooms.  It  is  recommended 
that  in  the  organization  of  departmental  meetings  the  significant  points 
of  merit  in  the  work  of  teachers  may  be  made  helpful  to  all  in  this  line  of 
work. 

There  are  two  points  of  commendation  for  the  teachers  of  reading  in 
Leavenworth.  The  teachers  have  done  their  work  carefully  and  thoroughly 
in  teaching  the  mechanics  of  reading.  By  means  of  an  articulation  chart, 
careful  drill  is  given  in  enunciation.  The  pupils  read  clearly  and  dis- 
tinctly. The  second  point  of  commendation  is  that  the  pupils  read  with 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      147 

understanding.  The  teachers  are  careful  to  make  sure  that  reading  for 
information  yields  the  desired  result.  The  library  reading  provided 
furnishes  opportunity  to  use  the  reading  hour  for  this  purpose. 

But  in  a  third  point  so  necessary  to  the  interpretation  of  real  litera- 
ture, imaginative  or  creative  reading,  the  teachers  are  not  generally  so 
successful.  In  some  cases  they  fail  to  distinguish  between  reading  for 
information  and  reading  for  the  sake  of  entering  through  imagination 
the  delights  of  literature.  As  a  consequence,  questions  asked  by  the 
teacher  call  for  information  rather  than  the  result  of  creative  imagina- 
tion. For  example,  in  the  reading  of  "The  Pied  Piper  of  Hamelin,"  if 
the  teacher  asks  such  a  question  as,  "What  did  the  Prper  do  next?"  she 
would  receive  the  answer,  "He  led  the  children  down  to  the  sea."  This  is 
information  plainly  given  in  the  poem  and  has  nothing  to  do  with  in- 
terpretation. On  the  other  hand,  if  the-teacher  asks  such  a  question  as, 
"What  did  the  children  do  under  the  hill?"  this  would  call  for  the  results 
of  creative  imagination,  and  the  children  would  be  only  too  happy  if  the 
imagination  were  given  free  play.  The  writer  observed  a  lesson  on  "The 
Pied  Piper  of  Hamelin"  in  which  the  children  had  entered  wholly  into  the 
experience  of  those  German  children  who  followed  the  Piper.  The  writer 
felt  this  so  strongly  in  her  observation  that  she  put  in  quickly  the  ques- 
tion, "How  many  of  you  would  have  followed  the  Piper?"  and  received 
an  affirmative  response  at  once  from  all  the  boys  and  girls  in  the  class 
except  three  sedate  little  girls,  upon  whom  the  others  in  the  class  looked 
with  some  pity. 

A  lesson  was  observed  in  grade  five  in  which  the  teacher  had  followed 
the  suggestion,  "Getting  into  the  atmosphere  of  the  piece."  The  lesson 
was  the  preparation  for  and  the  reading  of  the  poem,  "The  Use  of 
Flowers,"  in  Lessons  in  English,  by  Scott-Southworth,  page  144.  In  the 
word  study  the  teacher  did  not  deal  with  the  dictionary  definitions.  She 
talked  with  the  children  freely  about  luxuries  until  they  brought  out  of 
their  experience  those  things  which  were  luxuries  to  them.  They  trans- 
lated the  word  comfort  in  terms  of  actual  life.  The  teacher  talked  with 
them  about  the  things  necessary  for  their  outward  life,  and  brought  these 
into  contrast  with  those  things  which  delight  and  comfort  people,  as 
flowers  do.  When  the  children  opened  their  books  to  read  the  poem  for 
the  first  time,  they  brought  to  that  poem  a  fresh  understanding  of  those 
things  within  their  own  experience  which  made  the  reading  of  the  poem 
creative.  After  reading  silently  the  poem,  which  contained  these  lines : 

"To  comfort  man,  to  whisper  hope, 
Whene'er  his  faith  is  dim"  ; 

the  teacher  asked  if  any  one  could  tell  what  flowers  do  for  the  inner  life. 
She  was  rewarded  by  the  shining  eyes  of  a  little  fellow  who  replied, 
"Flowers  hope  up  man."  This  lesson  had  succeeded. 

THE   OUTSIDE   READING   OF    PUPILS. 

The  schools,  in  teaching  pupils  to  read,  have  given  to  boys  and  girls  in 
their  early  teens  a  power  to  extend  their  life  experience,  which  at  this 
age  is  demanding  a  wider  field  of  adventure.  Through  the  identification 
of  self  with  the  hero  or  heroine  of  fiction,  these  young  people  are  growing 


148  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

rapidly  in  their  ideals  of  manhood  and  womanhood.  Later  life  furnishes 
the  opportunity  to  give  expression  to  these  ideals  in  a  world  of  action. 
•Just  what  influences  are  most  powerful  in  the  early  teens  may  be  dis- 
covered in  books  which  are  most  widely  read.  It  is  this  world  of  the 
imagination  that  is  making  a  marked  contribution  to  the  moral  develop- 
ment. Franklin  K.  Mathiews.  Chief  Scout  Librarian  of  the  Boy  Scouts 
of  America,  writes  of  "Your  Boy  and  His  Books"  as  follows : 

Find  the  stories  in  which  the  heroes  have  the  characteristics  the  boy  so  much  admires — 
men  of  unquenchable  courage,  immense  resourcefulness,  absolute  fidelity,  conspicuous 
greatness;  the  men  Avho  do  things,  big  things,  wonderful  things;  the  men  Avho  conquer 
and  overcome  in  the  face  of  the  heaviest  odds,  who  "never  turn  their  backs,  but  march 
breast  forward,  to  do  or  die.!>  For  the  boy,  that  spirit  is  the  stuff  of  which  great  man- 
hood is  made;  and  if  with  books  we  would  profoundly  influence  him,  we  must  constantly 
challenge  him  with  stories  of  astonishing  accomplishments,  biographies  that  hold  him  spell- 
bound, wonder  tales  of  almost  unattainable  undertakings  achieved. 

As  an  attempt  to  study  this  problem  in  Leavenworth,  one  question, 
"What  books  have  you  read  during  the  past  year?"  was  placed  in  the 
pupil  questionnaire  used  in  the  Survey.  The  data  collected  and  classified 
for  this  report,  with  the  assistance  of  the  school  department  librarian  at 
the  Kansas  State  Normal,  will  be  suggestive. 

In  the  tabulation  the  books  have  been  arranged  in  the  order  of  the 
number  who  expressed  preferences  for  them.  In  another  column  appears 
a  classification  of  the  quality  of  each  book,  ranking  A,  B,  C,  or  D.  Books 
marked  A  are  of  first  quality  in  the  list,  for  one  of  two  reasons — literary 
merit  or  high  grade  of  subject  matter.  Those  marked  B  are  ranked  lower 
in  literary  merit,  but  are  considered  good  reading.  Books  marked  C  are 
those  which  serve  to  bridge  over  the  reading  of  pupils  who  have  not  de- 
veloped a  taste  for  reading  which  is  satisfied  by  those  in  A  and  B.  Books 
marked  D  are  books  which  are  recognized  as  being  harmful,  although 
often  very  popular.  Their  success  depends  upon  the  elements  of  adven- 
ture which  appeal  to  boys,  and  to  a  weak,  self -centered  heroine  who  some- 
times appeals  to  girls  of  this  age.  The  Rover  Boys,  Motor  Boys,  Alger 
Books,  and  Elsie  Books  are  the  conspicuous  examples  of  this  type  of 
juvenile  fiction. 

The  tabulation  of  data  collected  is  submitted  as  follows: 
No.     Title.  Rank. 


59  Rover   Boys D 

55  Alger  Books   D 

39  Motor    Boys    D 

29  Alcott    Books    A. 

29  Dorothy  Dainty D 

26  Shakespeare's    Plays    A 

22  Dave  Porter  Books D 

21  Little   Colonel   Books C 

20  Lang's  Fairy  Tales B 

16  Boy    Scout    Books D 

16  Uncle  Tom's   Cabin A 

15  Snow-bound    A 

10  Five  Little  Pepper  Books B 

9  Black  Beauty B 

9  Evangeline     A 

9  Helen  Grant  Books D 

9  Lady  of  the  Lake A 

9  Robinson   Crusoe    A 


No.  Title.                                                  Rank. 

8     Ben   Hur    A 

8     Jack   Books    B 

8     Patty  Fairfield  Books C 

7      Lake    Port    Series D 

7      Pollyanna      B 

7      Rip  Van  Winkle A 

7     Treasure  Island   A 

6      Beautiful    Joe     B 

6      Courtship    of   Miles    Standish A 

6      Prudy  Books    D 

5      Betty  Wales   Books.  : C 

5     Life   of   William    Cody. — 


5  Oregon    Trail    A 

5  Story    of    Lincoln .' B 

5  Tom  Sawyer A 

4  Bible    A 

4  David   Copperfield    A 

4  Dotty  Dimple  Books D 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      149 


No.  Ti>!>'.                                                    Rank. 

4      Girl  of  the  Limberlost C 

4      Last   of   the   Mohicans 'A 

4     Legend  of  Sleepy  Hollow A 

4  Little  Shepherd  of  Kingdom  Come.  .    A 

4      Only   an   Irish   Boy D 

4      Perfect   Tribute    A 

4      Quest  of  the  Four B 

3      Andrew's   Great    Pluck D 

3      Custer  on  the  Plains C 

3      Dutch   Twins    

3      Freckles     

3      Gifts  of  the  Forest 

3     Helen's  Babies 

3      Hoosier  School  Boy 

3      Ivanhoe     

3      Kit   Carson   Books 

3      Nathan    Hale    

3      Pilgrim's  Progress 

3      Poe's  Poems 

3      Rondy  Books    D 

3      Sinking  of  the  Titanic — 

3      Story  of   Canada A 

3      Stratemever    Series    D 

3     We   are   Seven A 

3      Wild  West    — 

3      With   Washington    Out  West — 

3      Young    Trailers    B 

2      American   Boys'    Handy   Book A 

2     Anne  Green  Gables A 

2  Aunt  Jane's  Nieces.  .                            .    D 


Title.  Rank. 

Battling    Nelson's    Career D 

Billy    Whiskers     .' D 

Boat    Club    Boys D 

Boy  Fortune  Hunters D 

Carpenter's   Readers    \. 

Christmas  Carol    \ 

Dickens'   Works    A 

Elsie    Dinsmore    Books D 

Flying  Girls D 


No. 
2 
2 
2 
2 


Girls  of  the  Forest D 

Gray's    Elegy    A 

Great    Stone   Face    V 

Hard    Working    Girls D 

John    Halifax,     Gentleman \ 

Juan  and  Juanita B 

King  of  the  Golden  River A 

Life  of  Washington A 

Mrs.  Wiggs  of  the  Cabbage  Patch.  .  A 

Old  Rose  and  Silver D 

On  the  School  Team B 

Peck's   Bad   Boy D 

Peggy  Owen  Series D 

Rab  and  His  Friends A 

Rebecca  of   Sunnybrook  Farm A 

Story  of  Carson  and  Fremont A 

Story  of  Mexico A 

Sweet  Girl  Graduate D 

Swiss    Family    Robinson A 

Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine.  .           .  A 


In  this  tabulation  only  those  books  that  were  mentioned  more  than 
once  were  considered.  A  study  of  the  number  of  times  each  book  is 
named  in  the  list  shows  that  44  per  cent,  or  .nearly  half,  of  the  reading 
done  by  the  pupils  in  grades  six,  seven  and  eight  is  of  the  class  marked 
D.  In  this  class  are  found  the  Rover  Boys,  Alger  Books,  Motor  Boys, 
and  Boy  Scout  Books,  widely  read  in  Leavenworth.  No  comparative 
data  are  at  hand  to  show  the  results  in  other  cities,  because  these 
books  are  not  included  in  library  reports.  But  since  book  dealers  find 
them  commercially  profitable  when  offered  for  sale,  without  considera- 
tion of  the  welfare  of  the  boys  of  the  city,  we  may  be  led  to  believe 
that  in  cities  and  towns  where  these  books  are  sold  the  records  would 
be  similar. 

The  libraries  of  the  city,  both  public  and  Sunday-school  libraries, 
share  with  the  schools  and  the  homes  the  responsibility  for  intelligent 
direction  in  the  matter  of  reading.  As  stated  before,  the  public  library 
is  doing  active  work  in  cooperation  with  the  schools.  On  their  shelves 
are  some  books  of  class  D  which  the  librarian  has  retained  temporarily 
that  boys  and  girls  may  find  the  books  they  ask  for,  and  thus  give  him 
an  opportunity  to  bridge  them  over  to  something  better  later  on.  In 
one  large  Sunday-school  library  are  found  the  Rover  Boys,  Motor  Boys, 
Alger,  and  Elsie  Books,  which  are  being  supplied  to  the  children.  They 
have,  no  doubt,  been  selected  on  the  recommendation  that  they  are  the 
books  which  boys  and  girls  like  best,  without  consideration  of  the  in- 
fluence which  they  have  upon  character  formation. 


150  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

Since  it  is  believed  that  the  books  which  boys  and  girls  are  reading- 
are  influencing  them,  and  since  almost  one-half  of  the  reading  done  by 
the  boys  and  girls  in  Leavenworth  in  grades  six,  seven  and  eight  is  of 
a  character  which  identifies  the  youthful  reader  with  ideals  that  are 
false  to  the  best  in  American  manhood  and  womanhood,  the  home  read- 
ing of  boys  and  girls  must  be  a  matter  of  serious  consideration  to  all 
who  are  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  young  people  of  the  city. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      151 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

SPELLING. 

Walter  S.  3Ionro<>. 
THE   TEACHING   OF    SPELLING. 

SPELLING  is  taught  systematically  in  all  grades,  and  7.9  per  cent  of 
the  total  time  of  the  teachers  if  given  to  the  subject.  See  page  59. 
The  work  in  grades  five  to  eight  is  based  primarily  upon  a  printed  list 
which  has  been  prepared  by  the  superintendent  and  the  teachers.  In  this 
list  they  have  attempted  to  place  the  words  which  make  up  the  speaking 
and  writing  vocabulary  of  pupils  in  the  respective  grades.  In  addition, 
the  teachers  are  urged  to  keep,  and  do  keep,  lists  of  misspelled  words, 
which  are  used  for  occasional  lessons. 

THE    SPELLING   ABILITY. 

The  spelling  ability  of  the  pupils  was  measured  by  giving  a  test  to 
all  pupils  in  grades  three  to  eight,  inclusive.  This  test  was  given  in 
Leavenworth  simply  as  an  exercise  in  dictation,  the  pupils  not  knowing 
that  they  were  to  be  marked  for  spelling.  The  directions  and  test  are 
given  below.* 

DIRECTIONS   FOR   GIVING   SPELLING   TEST. 

Please  read  these  instructions  through  before  beginning  to  dictate 
the  sentences: 

1.  See  that  each  sheet  is  headed  with   (a)   the  pupil's  name;    (&)   his  age;    (c)   number 
of  years  he  has  been  in  school;    (d)   the  grade;    (e)   the  date;    (/)   the  name  of  the  school. 

2.  Dictate   all   the   sentences  to   all  the  grades,   beginning  Avith   the  third,    during  one 
session;  i.  e.,  all  either  in  the  morning  or  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day. 

3.  In  third  and  fourth  grades  dictate  in  two  periods,  separated  by  a  day. 

4.  Each  sentence  may  be  dictated,   either  in  whole  or  in  part,  as  many  times  as  may 
seem    necessary  to   secure   its   complete   understanding.      This   exercise   is   purely  a  test   in 
spelling;    it  is  not  intended  that  pupils  should  be  subjected  to  the   added  difficulty  of  an 
effort  to  recall  the  words  dictated. 

5.  Offer   no  explanation  of  words  or   sentences.      If  the  meaning  is  not   clear,   repeat 
the  sentence  in  whole  or  in  part. 

6.  Do  not  ask  the  children  to  underline  words,  or  otherwise  call  their  attention  to  the 
significant  words  of  the   sentences.     Where  possible  so  to  conduct  the  matter,   the  pupils 
are  not  to  know  that  it  is  a  spelling  test.     To  them  it  is  but  a  dictation  exercise. 

7.  After   the   children   have   written   the   sentences,    read   them    all   through    again    and 
allow  pupils  to  insert  words  or  make  other  corrections. 

8.  Don't  hurry;  but  keep  things  going  fast  enough  so  that  pupils  will  not  have  time 
1o  examine  into  what  their  neighbors  are  doing,  or  to  give  help  to  each  other. 

9.  When  third  and  fourth  grades  have  written  half  the  list,  take  up  the  papers  and 
hold  them  until  the  second  dictation.      Then  give  them  out  again  for  the  pupils  to  finish. 

10.  Collect  the  papers  as  soon  as  the  work  is  finished. 

SPELLING   TEST. 

If  the  janitor  sweeps,  he  will  r«isi>  a  dust.  Wait  until  the  hour  for  recess  to  touch  the 
button.  TF//OAV  anxn-er  is  nln"i>i?  Smoke  was  coming  out  of  their  chimney.  Every  after- 
noon the  biitcJ/fr  gave  the  dog  a  piece  of  meat.  One  evening  a  carriage  was  stopping  in 
front  of  my  kttcli<-n.  I  wear  a  number  thirteen  collar.  Guess  what  made  me  sneeze.  Send 
me  a  pair  of  leather  shoes.  I  do  not  know,  but  I  ;im  almost  sure  they  are  mine.  My 
uncle  bought  my  ci»i.f!n  a  nrt-tt/i  /<v//c/<  for  forty  dollars.  The  soldier  dropped  his  sword. 


The  directions,  test,  and  comparative  data   were  furnished  by  Dr.  J.  F.   Bobbin. 


152  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

Jack  had  a  whistle  and  also  twelve  nails.  The  ocean  does  not  often  freeze.  You  should 
speak  to  people  whom  you  meet.  It  takes  only  a  minute  to  pass  through  'the  gate  and 
across  the  road.  Did  you  ever  hear  a  fairy  laugh?  The  American  Indian  had  a  saucer 
without  a  cup.  Neither  a  pear  nor  a  peach  was  at  the  grocery  store  to-day.  Cut  up  a 
whole  onion  with  a  handful  of  beans.  My  piano  lesson  was  easy.  The  animal  ran  iiiio 
the  road  and  straight  against  a  tree.  I  believe  true  friends  like  to  be  together  instead  of 
apart.  Telephone  me  on  Tuesday  if  the  tobacco  comes.  The  tailor  sent  a  saucy  telegram. 
Already  the  circus  was  beginning.  Pigeons  seem  too  beautiful  to  quarrel.  I  am  trying 
to  choose  a  toweZ.  The  chicken  was  fried  in  grease. 

(Adapted  from  Buckingham:  Spelling  Ability.') 

In  marking  the  papers,  only  the  one  hundred  words  in  italics  were 
considered.  Mistakes  in  the  spelling  of  other  words  were  not  counted 
or  noticed  in  any  way. 

TABLE  XXXII. 

The  Median  Spelling  Scores  by  Grades. 

Grade ///.    ,  IV.  V.  VI.  VII.           VIII. 

Average   for   40   schools 36  58  72  82  88               92 

General  average  for  Leavenworth.  .  37.5  59  69.4  77.1  81              85.6 

Morris     38  51  65  72  79               85 

Oak  Street    18  65  59  77  83               89 

Third  Avenue    54  55  70  76  81               83 

Lincoln     28  33  64  82  78               76 

Sumner     57  63  76  80  84               95 

Franklin 24  64  70  73  .  . 

Maplewood    36  60  52  65 

Wilson    .  .  : 38  61  93  92 

Jefferson     36  72 

Cleveland    46  65  76  .  .  .  . 

Dr.  W.  Franklin  Jones*  has  given  us  the  writing  vocabularies  of  3050 
children  classified  by  grades.  Of  the  hundred  words  which  make  up  this 
test,  74  appear  in  the  writing  vocabulary  of  the  second  grade,  13  in  that 
of  the  third  grade,  7  in  that  of  the  fourth,  1  in  that  of  the  sixth,  and  only  4 
words  (janitor,  stopping,  American,  and  lessson)  are  not  included  in  the 
writing  vocabulary  of  any  grade. 

A  comparison  of  the  scores  for  the  schools  of  Leavenworth  with  the 
average  shows  that  Leavenworth  is  below  the  average  in  most  cases. 
The  median  score  of  18  for  the  third  grade  in  the  Oak  Street  School 
is  no  doubt  due  to  the  fact  that  they  took  only  half  of  the  test. 

These  scores  indicated  that  spelling  is  rather  exceptionally  well  taught 
in  the  Sumner  School  and  in  certain  grades  in  other  schools,  as,  for  ex- 
ample, the  fourth  grade  in  the  Oak  Street  School,  the  third  grade  in  the 
Third  Avenue  School.  The  upper  grades  make  a  relatively  poorer  show- 
ing. This  probably  is  because  sufficient  drill  is  not  given  upon  spelling 
in  these  grades.  In  fact,  in  the  work  observed  by  the  writer,  little  at- 
tention was  given  to  drill,  and  the  emphasis  was  placed  upon  the  meaning 
of  the  words  and  the  ability  to  use  them  in  sentences. 

In  view  of  the  generous  time  provision  for  the  teaching  of  spelling  and 
the  instructions  of  the  superintendent,  together  with  the  nature  of  the 
spelling  lists  which  are  used,  one  would  expect  to  find  the  children  of 
Leavenworth  exhibiting  superior  spelling  ability.  But  the  results  of  this 
test  indicate  that  sufficient  drill  upon  spelling  is  not  provided. 

*  W.  Franklin  Jones,  Concrete  Investigation  of  the  Material  of  English  Spelling, 
University  of  South  Dakota.  • 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      153 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  HIGH  SCHOOL. 

Walter  S.  Monroe,  assisted  by  the  Staff. 
THE  NEW  FUNCTION  OF  THE  HIGH  SCHOOL. 

THERE  are  certain  facts  which  show  that  the  public  high  school  is 
coming  to  fulfill  a  new  function  in  our  social  order.  The  following  state- 
ment is  quoted  from  Bulletin  No.  29  (1913),  United  States  Bureau  of 
Education:  "From  1890-'91  to  1900-1901  the  number  of  secondary  schools, 
both  private  and  public,  rose  from  4,885  schools,  with  309,996  students,  to 
8,210  schools,  with  649,951  students;  by  1910-11  these  figures  had  in- 
creased to  12,213  schools,  with  1,246,827  students.  The  schools  belong  to 
many  types,  ranging  from  those  with  only  the  strictly  classical  curriculum 
to  those  which  are  essentially  vocational  high  schools  organized  with  little 
or  no  reference  to  higher  education."  The  fact  that  within  the  period 
from  1890  to  1910  the  population  of  the  United  States  increased  only  41 
per  cent,  and  that  within  the  same  period  the  number  of  secondary  schools 
increased  150  per  cent  and  the  number  of  students  260  per  cent,  is  very 
significant.  It  indicates  that  the  public  high  school,  which  is  the  dominant 
type  of  secondary  school,  is  coming  to  fulfill  a  much  larger  function  in 
our  plan  of  education. 

A  study  of  the  enrollment  of  the  Leavenworth  High  School  points  to 
the  same  conclusion  for  the  city  of  Leavenworth.  (See  page  42.)  From 
1881,  when  the  enrollment  reached  200,  until  1905-'06  it  did  not  pass  the 
300  mark;  but  within  ten  years  the  enrollment  has  doubled,  and  the  in- 
dications are  for  a  continued  increase.  Within  this  same  period  the 
population  of  Leavenworth  has  remained  practically  stationary.  This 
means  that  the  Leavenworth  High  School  is  assuming  new  relations  to  the 
community. 

THE  REORGANIZATION   OF   SECONDARY  EDUCATION. 

There  are  two  distinct  lines  along  which  the  reorganization  of  second- 
ary education  is  taking  place.  First,  new  subjects  are  being  added  to 
the  program  of  studies.  For  example,  domestic  science  and  agriculture 
are  being  introduced  in  many  schools.  In  the  program  of  studies  of  the 
Colebrook  Academy  we  find  such  subjects  as  political  economy,  history  of 
commerce,  advanced  physiology  and  hygiene  and  the  elements  of  nursing, 
horticulture,  agronomy,  and  farm  mechanics  and  carpentry.  Second, 
there  is  a  reconstruction  of  the  subject  matter  within  the  present  high- 
school  subjects.  Such  subjects  as  algebra,  geometry,  physics,  chemistry 
and  botany  had  their  beginnings  in  some  practical  needs,  and  have  been 
elaborated  by  men  who  became  interested  in  the  subject  matter  for  its 
own  sake  and  who  thus  lost  sight  of  its  relation  with  practical  life.  This 
elaboration  and  the  subsequent  organization  have  resulted  in  structures 
which  are  marvelous  when  judged  with  respect  to  completeness  and  logical 
order,  but  which  are  composed  of  the  subject  matter  far  removed  from  the 


154  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

realities  of  life  and  organized  according  to  the  working  of  the  minds  of 
mature  philosophers  and  logicians  rather  than  the  minds  of  children. 

The  point  of  view  which  is  being  adopted  in  the  reconstruction  of  our 
present  high-school  subjects  is  to  ask  regarding  each  topic,  each  problem,, 
each  process,  each  fact,  the  question,  "What  is  this  used  for  in  the  world 
outside  of  the  schoolroom?"  If  subject  matter  will  not  assist  in  the 
preparation  which  the  boys  and  girls  need  for  the  varied  activities  in 
which  they  will  participate  as  adults,  it  is  being  eliminated  from  the  sub- 
ject. To  what  is  left  of  the  present  high-school  subjects  after  this  elimi- 
nation other  subject  matter  is  added  which  is  useful  in  preparing  boys 
and  girls  for  the  activities  which  they  must  undertake.  After  this  is  done, 
the  whole  is  being  organized  in  accord  with  the  working  of  the  child's 
mind  rather  than  that  of  the  adult. 

This  general  point  of  view  is  being  accepted  by  many  of  our  foremost 
educators,  and  it  seems  quite  certain  that  a  number  of  our  present  high- 
school  subjects  will  be  reconstructed  according  to  this  plan.  In  the  fol- 
lowing sections  of  this  Survey  some  detailed  suggestions  are  given  for  the 
reconstruction  of  certain  subjects  in  the  Leavenworth  High  School.  It 
should,  perhaps,  be  stated  here  that  these  suggestions  are  not  mere 
theories  held  by  the  members  of  the  Survey  Staff,  but  are  ideas  which  have 
been  given  sufficient  trial  to  warrant  recommending  them  to  the  principal 
and  teachers  of  the  Leavenworth  High  School. 

The  Leavenworth  High  School  is  rapidly  coming  to  occupy  a  different 
place  in  the  community,  and  in  order  that  it  may  efficiently  fulfill  this 
changed  function,  the  principal  and  teachers  of  the  High  School  face  and 
will  continue  to  face  the  problem  of  working  out  a  reconstructed  cur- 
riculum. 

RECOMMENDATIONS. 

The  regular  faculty  meetings  can  be  very  effective  if  they  are  utilized 
for  the  serious  study  and  consideration  of  vital  educational  problems.  The 
working  out  of  plans  for  correlation  of  the  work  of  two  or  more  depart- 
ments returns  rich  profits  in  the  effect  upon  the  teachers.  A  small  amount 
of  this  is  now  being  done.  It  will  be  profitable  to  do  more.  In  meeting 
the  problems  of  reconstruction,  more  effective  work  can  be  done  if  those 
working  within  a  field,  such  as  history,  science,  English  or  mathematics, 
are  organized  into  a  committee.  Such  an  organization  and  the  work 
which  is  done  will  be  effective  in  producing  a  broader  concept  of  the  work 
of  the  school. 

It  is  but  fair  to  mention  here  that,  according  to  their  own  estimate, 
six  of  the  High  School  teachers  are  now  devoting  from  50  to  60  hours 
per  week  to  school  work.  If  this  estimate  was  carefully  made,  the  matter 
should  be  investigated.  Such  totals  are  too  large.  It  may  be  that  some 
of  this  time  is  spent  in  ways  which  are  only  slightly  valuable.  If  so,  the 
teacher  should  be  aided  in  employing  his  time  to  a  better  advantage.  If 
not,  the  work  assigned  to  these  teachers  should  be  lessened.  In  either 
case  time  should  be  provided  for  the  types  of  activities  just  suggested. 

At  present  no  drawing  or  fine  art  is  taught  in  the  Leavenworth  High 
School  beyond  a  brief  course  for  normal-training  students.  This  is  a  serious 
lack,  since  art  enters  so  largely  into  everyday  affairs,  and  has  industrial 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      155 

as  well  as  aesthetic  value.  These  facts  apply  with  even  more  force  in  the 
High  School  than  in  the  grades.  It  is  suggested  that  the  work  of  the  art 
department  be  extended  to  the  High  School,  and  that  the  courses  in  the 
High  School  be  closely  related  to  the  courses  in  domestic  art  and  manual 
arts.  The  work  given  should  include  the  designing  of  furniture,  the 
planning  and  decoration  of  houses,  and  costume  designs,  including  milli- 
nery. A  general  course  in  applied  design,  which  includes  the  designing 
and  making  of  projects  in  a  variety  of  matrials  and  processes  useful  in 
home  decoration,  such  as  stenciling,  block  printing,  and  embroidery,  would 
be  a  profitable  course  for  all  students  as  a  means  of  developing  apprecia- 
tion of  the  relation  of  art  to  everyday  affairs. 

Music  also  is  not  taught  at  present  in  the  High  School,  except  a  brief 
course  for  the  normal-training  students.  We  pointed  out  in  the  section 
on  the  educational  needs  of  Leavenworth  that  it  was  vitally  necessary 
that  boys  and  girls  acquire  ideals  of  and  capacity  for  wholesome  leisure 
activities.  Listening  to  music  and  producing  it  are  recognized  the  world 
over  as  among  the  most  wholesome  of  recreations.  It  is  recommended 
that  the  course  in  music  be  extended  into  the  High  School.  Chorus  sing- 
ing, music  appreciation  and  orchestra  are  some  courses  which  would  be 
very  profitable.  The  High  School  is  already  giving  credit  for  music  taken 
under  properly  qualified  private  teachers.  This  plan  may  be  combined 
with  such  a  music  course  as  just  suggested. 


156  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

COMMERCIAL  SUBJECTS. 

Walter  S.  Monroe. 

ONE  of  the  five  parallel  courses  in  the  High  School  is  the  commercial 
course.  This  course  includes  three  years  of  English,  two  or  two  and  a 
half  years  of  mathematics,  one  year  of  science,  two  years  of  bookkeeping, 
two  years  of  stenography  and  typewriting,  and  a  year  of  commercial  law 
and  commercial  geography.  The  remainder  of  the  fifteen  units  required 
for  graduation  are  elective.  At  the  time  of  the  Survey  a  total  of  65  were 
enrolled  in  bookkeeping  and  42  in  stenography  and  typewriting.  This 
means  that  practically  one  student  out  of  every  four  is  taking  commercial 
work,  and  presumably  the  commercial  course.  Since  the  course  is  elec- 
tive, this  speaks  well  for  the  appreciation  of  the  work  by  the  students. 

Among  the  changes  contemplated  for  the  future  is  a  course  on  pen- 
manship and  letter-writing.  As  the  commercial  course  was  outlined  to 
the  writer,  no  provision  appears  for  handwriting  or  business  letter- 
writing.  By  all  means  the  course  should  include  such  work.  Other  con- 
templated additions  are  commercial  arithmetic,  economics,  and  what  the 
instructor  has  called,  "The  World's  Work." 

RECOMMENDATIONS. 

The  first  two  of  these  subjects  are  quite  generally  recognized  as 
belonging  in  the  commercial  course.  The  last  is  seldom  found,  but  if 
commercial  work  is  to  be  connected  properly  with  the  activities  of  the 
business  world  these  activities  must  be  studied.  If  not  studied  inci- 
dentally in  connection  with  bookkeeping,  commercial  arithmetic,  com- 
mercial law,  etc.,  they  should  be  given  a  place  as  a  separate  subject. 

The  writer  did  not  learn  of  any  provision  for  household  accounting. 
Such  a  course  is  very  valuable  for  both  boys  and  girls,  and  will  find  an 
application  in  the  lives  of  many  more  than  will  commercial  accounting  or 
typewriting.  For  a  beginning  in  this  direction,  the  present  course  in 
bookkeeping  might  be  supplemented  by  a  few  weeks  devoted  to  household 
accounts  at  the  end  of  the  course,  similar  to  the  way  in  which  the  regular 
course  in  chemistry  is  supplemented  by  six  weeks  on  household  chemistry. 

No  provision  is  made  for  a  young  man  or  young  woman  who  is  work- 
ing and  wishes  to  study  one  or  two  commercial  subjects,  say  bookkeeping 
or  stenography  and  typewriting. 

Neither  is  provision  made  for  mature  boys  and  girls  who  wish  to  pre- 
pare themselves  for  a  commercial  position  within  one  or  two  years.  In 
the  past,  young  people  of  Leavenworth  have  had  to  go  to  private  business 
colleges. 

The  Commissioner  of  Education,  in  his  1912  report,  says: 

"School  administrators  have  learned  that  more  pupils  will  be  reached 
if  short,  practical  courses  are  offered  in  the  high  school  than  if  adherence 
to  the  rigid  four-year  course  is  insisted  upon.  Some  children,  because  of 
home  conditions,  age  and  other  considerations,  know  that  they  never  will 
be  able  to  complete  the  traditional  high-school  course,  so  drop  out  of 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      157 

school  altogether  at  the  end  of  the  eighth  grade.  In  a  number  of  cities 
two-year  and  other  shorter  courses  have  been  provided  for  such  pupils. 
Preparation  for  commercial  and  industrial  pursuits  and  other  vocational 
training  are  usually  given  in  these  abridged  forms  of  the  high-school 
curriculum.  From  reports  received  by  the  Bureau  of  Education,  these 
shorter  periods  of  secondary  school  work  are  proving  popular  without 
affecting  attendance  in  four-year  courses." 


158  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL, 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

ENGLISH  IN  THE  HIGH  SCHOOL. 

Minnie  E.  Porter. 
LITERATURE. 

THE  choice  of  classics  for  study,  throughout  three  years  of  the  high- 
school  course,  has  been  limited  to  the  college-entrance  requirements  which 
have  been  accepted  by  the  University  of  Kansas  and  embodied  in  the  state 
course  of  study  for  high  schools.  These  requirements  are  divided  into 
five  groups,  representing  these  literary  types:  epic  poetry  and  story, 
fiction,  lyric  and  narrative  poetry,  drama,  and  general  prose.  Two 
classics  must  be  chosen  from  each  group.  In  addition,  the  following 
classics  are  required  for  careful  study:  Macbeth,  Milton's  Minor  Poems, 
either  Burke's  Speech  on  Conciliation  or  both  Washington's  Farewell 
Address  and  Webster's  First  Bunker  Hill  Oration,  either  Macaulay's  Life 
of  Johnson  or  Carlyle's  Essay  on  Burns.  The  English  course  at  Leaven- 
worth  shows  few  variations  from  these  requirements.  Of  the  last-named 
requirements,  the  course  does  not  include  either  the  argumentative  speech 
or  the  essay.  The  initiative  of  the  teachers  has  not  substituted  anything 
in  place  of  these.  Twelfth  Night  has  been  substituted  for  the  Merchant 
of  Venice  in  the  second  year,  and  Treasure  Island  is  used  in  the  first  term 
of  the  first  year  instead  of  the  second  term. 

The  lists  of  books  for  home  reading  submitted  by  the  teachers  show 
evidence  of  a  desire  on  their  part  to  meet  real  needs.  The  lists  show  that 
the  teachers  have  made  five  selections  from  the  collateral  reading  recom- 
mended by  the  state  course  of  study,  eleven  selections  from  the  college- 
entrance  requirements,  and  twenty-eight  selections  of 'their  own.  In  one 
list  nine  books  are  modern  fiction.  With  the  exception  of  three  plays  of 
Shakespeare  selected  for  the  third  year,  all  the  books  for  home  reading 
are  prose  fiction.  These  recommendations  show  an  effort  to  meet  the  need 
of  shaping  the  voluntary  reading  of  the  pupils,  but  the  field  of  effort  so 
far  is  limited.  While  it  is  difficult  to  find  entertaining  reading  for  pupils 
of  high-school  age  in  the  fields  of  biography  and  travel,  the  teachers 
should  study  such  a  list  as  given  in  the  Report  of  the  Committee  on  Home 
Reading  of  the  National  Council  of  English  Teachers  (1912). 

In  the  arrangement  of  this  home  reading  for  the  three  years,  we  note 
and  commend  the  effort  to  adjust  the  recommendations  to  the  reading  in- 
terest of  high-school  pupils  of  different  ages.  We  are  pleased  to  find 
in  a  first-year  list,  Tom  Sawyer,  The  Deerslayer,  and  Poe's  Prose  Tales. 
Of  forty-two  eighth-grade  boys  who  answered  the  question,  "What  books 
have  you  read  this  year?"  nine  preferred  the  Alger  Books,  ten  the  Motor 
Boys,  and  twenty-three  the  Rover  Boys.  These  pupils  will  enter  High 
School  in  September,  1914.  The  teacher  who  prepares  a  list  of  books  for 
home  reading  for  these  boys  must  not  only  satisfy  their  desire  for  read- 
ing, but  must  shape  and  direct  it.  In  the  second  year  there  is  offered  a 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      159 

list  of  classic  fiction.     This  is  supplemented  by  a  list  of  current  fiction 
for  easier  reading: 

.s1  ii i>i>l<>tn rittari/   Lint.  Siihxtitnt''   List. 

David  Copperfleld.     Dickens.  Richard  Carvel. 

Old  Curiosity  Shop.     Dickens.  The  Crisis. 

Dombey  and  Son.     Dickens.  The   Crossing. 

Kenilworth.     Scott.  The  Price  of  the  Prairie. 

Ivanhoe.     Scott.  The  Winning  of  Barbara  Worth. 

Talisman.      Scott.  The  Shepherd  of  the  Hills. 

The  Last  Days  of  Pompeii.     Lytton.  Bob  Son  of  Battle. 

Cranford.      Gaskell.  Ramona. 

Scottish  Chiefs.     Porter.  The  Light  that  Failed. 
Thaddeus  of  Warsa  v.     Porter. 
John  Halifax.     Craik. 
Ben  Hur.     Wallace. 
/lane  Eyre.     Bronte. 

The  Mill  on  the  Floss.     Georye  Elliot.  «.. 
Lorna  Doone.     Blackinore. 

In  the  list  for  the  third  year  the  reading  interests  of  the  pupils  have 
been  considered,  but  the  selections  include  three  of  Shakespeare's  plays 
and  a  list  of  representative  English  novels  which  supplement  the  history 
of  English  literature.  On  the  whole,  this  repoiT  on  home  reading  shows 
the  initiative  of  the  teacher  is  exercised  to  meet  the  real  needs  of  the  pupils 
as  determined  by  their  reading  interests  through-  the  three-year  course. 

COMPOSITION. 

The  general  recommendations  from  the  college-entrance  require- 
ments, that  practice  in  composition,  oral  as  well  as  written,  should 
extend  throughout  the  secondary  school  period,  are  embodied  in  the 
course  in  Leavenworth.  The  state  textbook,  Stebbins'  Progressive  Course 
in  English  for  Secondary  Schools,  has  determined  the  choice  and  ar- 
rangement of  the  work  in  composition. 

In  the  use  of  the  textbook  the  teachers  have  followed  the  line  of 
least  resistance.  They  have  accepted  the  spiral  arrangement  as  inevi- 
table, and  have  taught  Stebbins  Part  I  in  the  first  year,  Stebbins  Part 
II  in  the  second  year.  This  is  a  result  of  lack  of  cooperation  in  plan- 
ning the  course  to  avoid  the  unsatisfactory  spiral  arrangement.  The 
state  course  of  study  presents  some  valuable  suggestions  in  the  ar- 
rangement of  a  course  of  composition  using  Stebbins'  textbook,  but  the 
teachers  have  not  been  influenced  by  these  helpful  suggestions.  In 
fact,  the  lack  of  initiative  is  shown  in  the  description  of  the  course  in 
composition  for  the  first  year,  which  follows  exactly  the  order  of  the 
textbook. 

The  subjects  for  the  work  in  composition  have  been  taken  from  a 
wide  range.  It  is  in  this  matter  of  subjects  for  composition  work  that 
the  teachers  have  shown  their  originality  and  initiative.  Two  methods 
have  been  used  with  the  pupils  in  helping  them  find  subjects  for  com- 
positions. In  one  case  the  teacher  had  prepared  on  the  blackboard  a 
list  of  suggestive  subjects,  from  which  each  pupil  would  choose  one  for 
oral  composition.  The  subjects  were  of  the  nature  of  those  which 
pupils  of  the  first  year  would  choose,  but  these  boys  and  girls  were 
deprived  of  the  pleasure  and  the  training  in  discovering  subjects  for 


160  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

themselves.  In  another  case  current  news  articles  were  chosen  from 
the  point  of  view  of  interest  for  the  class. 

Another  venture,  which  promises  more  in  real  training  than  either 
of  the  two  mentioned,  is  the  search  for  subjects  dealing  with  local 
material.  This  search  for  material  is  a  process  of  awakening  a  live 
interest  in  the  world  of  affairs  in  the  city  of  Leavenworth  and  in  the 
high  school  community.  The  search  for  concrete  material  also  pro- 
vides a  real  desire  for  expression.  The  best  among  these  compositions 
are  printed  in  the  Leavenworth  Times.  The  city  of  Leavenworth  is 
listed  as  a  textbook.  That  the  life  of  the  community  will  furnish 
abundance  of  material  for  composition  there  is  no  doubt.  The  helpful 
cooperation  of  the  newspapers  of  the  town  in  giving  publication  to  the 
writing  of  high-school  pupils  is  strongly  recommended.  In  the  absence 
of  a  school  paper  or  magazine,  or  a  school  print  shop,  the  newspapers 
furnish  the  only  assurance  of  publication. 

The  initiative  of  the  teachers  is  not  limited,  however,  to  the  choice 
of  subjects  for  composition.  The  course  shows  the  result  of  the  exer- 
cise of  this  initiative  in  planning  a  fourth  year  of  composition  as  an 
elective.  The  University  of  Kansas  now  provides  for  accrediting  a 
fourth  year  of  English,  provided  that  the  work  is  approved  by  the 
University,  which  has  made  no  attempt  to  mark  out  the  content  or  the 
scope  of  the  course.  Any  high  school  in  Kansas  is  free  to  plan  a  year 
of  elective  work  in  English,  provided  that  it  is  of  high  grade  and 
serious  in  purpose.  With  this  opportunity,  Leavenworth  has  reached 
out  this  year  in  a  course  in  journalism  and  short-story  writing. 

ALTERNATION   OF   COMPOSITION   AND   LITERATURE. 

In  the  report  of  teachers  of  first-year  English  we  find  this  state- 
ment: "Monday,  Tuesday  and  Thursday  are  devoted  each  week  to  the 
regular  course  as  it  progresses.  Wednesday  is  known  as  theme  day. 
Friday  is  oral-composition  day."  The  teachers  of  first-year  English 
observe  this  program  throughout  the  year. 

An  examination  of  the  actual  results  of  such  a  program  shows  the 
disadvantages  of  the  arrangement.  The  writer  observed  a  class  on 
Tuesday  enjoying  the  first  chapters  of  Treasure  Island.  The  story 
made  its  appeal  at  once.  With  the  interest  thus  aroused,  the  boys  and 
girls  were  ready  to  read  on  with  the  story,  and  would  naturally  look 
forward  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  story  on  the  following  day.  But  this 
could  not  be,  for  Wednesday  was  theme  day.  The  next  assignment  was 
made  as  follows:  "Read  the  next  three  chapters  twice  for  Thursday." 
Thursday  the  class  met  to  enjoy  more  of  the  story,  although  we  are 
quite  sure  each  boy  did  not  read  the  next  three  chapters  twice.  He 
must  have  read  as  far  ahead  as  time  would  permit.  But  this  pleasure 
in  a  most  thrilling  part  of  the  story  must  be  broken  again,  for  Friday 
was  oral  composition  day,  and  they  would  not  talk  about  Treasure 
Island.  Further  consideration  must  be  postponed  until  Tuesday.  When 
a  boy's  interest  is  once  aroused  in  Treasure  Island  he  sits  up  at  night 
to  finish  it;  he  does  not  wait  for  any  program  outlined  by  a  university 
for  accredited  schools. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      161 

But  if  there  is  an  element  of  loss  in  the  study  of  a  classic,  we  must 
consider  the  effect  of  this  arrangement  upon  training  in  composition. 
In  the  reports  of  teachers  for  the  second-year  English  we  find  that 
Wednesday  is  theme  day  each  alternate  week,  and  that  every  Friday 
is  oral  composition  day.  The  study  of  the  classics  named  is  the  prin- 
cipal work  of  the  course.  One  day  each  alternate  week  would  allow 
eighteen  class  periods  for  written  composition  in  a  course  which  is  out- 
lined to  include  the  advanced  work  in  narration,  description,  exposition 
and  argumentation.  In  oral  composition  thirty-six  periods  are  allowed 
of  thirty-five  minutes  each.  If  in  a  class  of  twenty-five  pupils  the 
teacher  used  a  maximum  of  ten  minutes  for  instruction  and  suggestive 
criticism,  and  if  the  pupil  spoke  in  the  class  hour,  one  pupil  could  be 
allowed  but  one  minute  of  the  remaining  twenty-five.  And  even  with 
this  unsatisfactory  arrangement  each  pupil  could  speak  but  once  a 
week.  Training  in  composition,  in  writing  or  in  speech  is  training  in 
an  art  in  which  skill  is  developed  oy  frequent  practice.  Under  the- 
conditions  just  set  forth  a  teacher  can  not  develop  skill  in  untrained 
and  immature  pupils. 

The  result  of  this  arbitrary  division  of  time  has  been  to  throw  the 
emphasis  upon  the  teaching  of  the  literature  as  the  regular  or  major 
part  of  the  course,  and  to  make  the  teaching  of  composition,  both  oral 
and  written,  less  effective.  Under  these  circumstances,  the  lessons  in 
composition  appear  to  the  pupil  to  be  an  unnecessary  interruption  to 
the  regular  course  in  the  reading  of  English  classics. 

While  the  subjects  of  literature  and  composition  are  carried  on  side 
by  side,  as  has  been  indicated,  there  is  little  relation  between  the  two. 
In  the  first-year  English  there  are  two  independent  courses  offered. 
The  state  course  of  study  suggests  that  the  relation  be  "not  so  much 
in  subject  matter  as  in  character  of  appeal."  This  relation  is  not 
marked  in  Leavenworth  except  in  the  course  in  short-story  writing, 
which  is  a  course  in  composition.  The  stories  used  serve  as  models  for 
the  study  of  the  technique  of  the  short  story.  In  the  third  year,  which 
has  as  its  basis  the  survey  of  the  history  of  English  literature,  the 
literature  and  composition  are  related  in  subject  matter.  The  study 
of  Macbeth  was  followed  by  a  debate  in  the  Shakespeare  and  the  Bacon 
theory.  This  was  given  as  an  illustration  by  the  teacher  as  a  means 
of  bringing  argumentation  into  the  third  year.  Another  report  reads 
as  follows:  "Each  pupil  chooses  a  different  subject.  Reading  is  done 
in  the  library  upon  works  referred  to  in  the  textbook  on  the  history 
of  English  literature.  The  reports  are  read  in  class  so  that  each  pupil 
may  derive  benefit  from  the  work  of  the  others."  The  writer  examined 
the  compositions  of  two  classes  in  the  assignment  of  the  subject,  "The 
application  of  the  poem,  The  Crisis,  to  the  French  Revolution."  This 
subject  grew  out  of  the  reading  of  The  Tale  of  Two  Cities  in  the  second 
year.  As  a  problem  in  literary  study  it  has  some  value,  but  as  for 
training  in  composition,  the  real  motive  for  composition — the  desire  to 
express  one's  self  for  a  real  audience — was  absent.  Here  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  emphasis  is  upon  the  study  of  literature.  Composition  is 
used  as  an  aid  to  this  study,  as  it  may  be  an  aid  to  the  study  of  history 

—11 


162  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

and  geography.  In  the  main,  then,  we  conlude  that  while  literature  and 
composition  are  taught  side  by  side  throughout  three  years  of  the  high- 
school  course,  they  are  treated  as  two  unrelated  courses. 

RECOMMENDATIONS. 

The  attempts  to  adapt  the  teaching  of  English  to  local  needs  place 
the  teachers  of  English  in  Leavenworth  in  the  line  of  definite  progress. 
We  recommend  that  steps  be  taken  toward  making  definite  plans  in 
the  coming  year  for  the  study  of  the  problem  of  the  reorganization  of 
the  English  work  in  the  High  School.  The  initiative  shown  thus  far 
in  the  adaptation  of  the  teaching  of  English  to  the  needs  of  Leaven- 
worth  has  been  the  result  of  each  teacher  working  independently. 

An  organization  of  the  department  for  next  year  should  be  made 
by  the  appointment  of  one  of  the  four  teachers  of  English  as  chairman 
of  a  committee  on  reorganization  of  the  course  of  study  in  English. 
The  teachers  of  English  and  the  principal  should  constitute  this  com- 
mittee for  serious  study  during  the  coming  year.  The  principal  can 
not  be  expected  to  take  the  place  of  a  specialist  in  English  or  of  the 
head  of  the  department.  He  must  bring  to  the  work  of  the  committee 
the  view  of  the  school  as  a  whole  and  of  the  function  of  English  teach- 
ing in  relation  to  the  other  work  of  the  school. 

This  committee  of  high-school  teachers  of  English  should  become  a 
part  of  a  larger  committee,  composed  of  the  superintendent,  the  prin- 
cipals of  the  buildings  containing  seventh  and  eighth  grades,  and  the 
teachers  of  English  in  these  grades.  The  teachers  of  first-year  Latin 
and  German  should  identify  themselves  with  the  work  of  this  committee 
so  far  as  it  concerns  itself  with  the  question  of  the  teaching  of  gram- 
mar. The  problem  of  the  seventh,  eighth  and  ninth  grades  is  recognized 
by  the  National  Committee  as  one  problem — the  problem  of  the  inter- 
mediate school.  The  unfortunate  gap,  in  the  method  and  subject  matter, 
between  the  eighth  grade  and  the  High  School  should  be  lessened. 
Then,  too,  the  teachers  of  departmental  work  in  English  need  the 
point  of  view  of  the  teacher  in  the  High  School  in  dealing  with  the 
older  pupils  in  the  grade  schools.  But  more  than  that,  the  teachers  of 
English  in  the  High  School  need  the  help  of  the  experience  and  sym- 
pathetic understanding  of  the  eighth-grade  teacher  and  the  principal. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVEN  WORTH,  KAN.      163 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

HOUSEHOLD  ARTS. 

Ella  T.  Dobbs. 

HOUSEHOLD  ARTS  in  the  Leavenworth  High  School  is  an  elective  subject 
in  the  general  and  industrial  courses.  Two  periods  or  eighty  minutes 
daily  are  devoted  to  the  subject,  and  two  years'  work  is  given  at  present. 
Plans  are  in  contemplation  for  its  extension  to  four  full  years  as  soon  as 
circumstances  will  warrant.  When  the  courses  were  first  organized  the 
time  was  divided  between  domestic  science  and  domestic  art,  lessons  be- 
ing given  in  each  subject  on  alternate  days.  Later  the  present  plan  of 
devoting  alternate  quarters  to  each  phase  of  the  work  was  adopted  and 
found  to  be  much  more  satisfactory.  The  further  extension  of  the  term  of 
consecutive  study  in  one  field  to  one-half  year  is  now  under  consideration. 
This  plan  has  much  to  commend  it,  giving  greater  opportunity  for  con- 
centrated effort. 

SEWING. 

The  work  in  domestic  art  includes  the  cutting  and  making  of  plain 
garments,  such  as  the  more  complicated  undergarments  and  a  wash  dress. 
In  the  second  year  a  wool  skirt,  a  tailored  shirt  waist  and  a  lingerie  dress 
are  made.  The  course  includes  the  drafting  of  patterns  to  measure  as 
well  as  the  use  of  prepared  paper  patterns.  The  study  deals  with  the 
theory  as  well  as  the  practice  of  the  necessary  processes,  with  the  quality 
of  cloth  and  the  control  of  its  tendency  to  fade  and  shrink,  with  the  suit- 
ability of  material  to  specific  garments,  and  with  suitable  styles  of  cloth- 
ing for  specific  occasions.  In  many  instances  the  members  of  the  class 
are  wearing  the  garments  they  have  made,  and  in  several  instances  a 
very  marked  improvement  in  the  neatness  of  dress  and  in  the  care  of  the 
person  is  noted  as  a  direct  outgrowth  of  the  study. 

COOKING. 

The  course  in  cooking  includes  the  care  and  sanitation  of  the  kitchen, 
the  cooking  and  serving  of  simple  meals,  a  study  of  food  values  and  their 
relation  to  health,  and  a  brief  study  of  home  planning  and  furnishing. 
In  addition  to  the  ordinary  lesson,  in  which  a  specific  dish  is  prepared  and 
for  which  materials  are  specially  provided,  emergency  lessons  are  given  as 
occasion  offers,  in  which  the  class  is  expected  to  make  use  of  the  left- 
overs in  a  scant  larder  and  evolve  something  appetizing,  very  much  as 
the  housewife  must  often  do  for  the  unexpected  guest. 

Each  student  must  also  prepare  a  test  menu  of  properly  balanced  food 
values,  cook  and  serve  the  meal.  In  these  meals  a  definite  cost  limit  is 
set.  In  actual  practice  the  cost  ranges  from  ten  to  twenty-five  cents  per 
person  served,  the  latter  being  the  cost  of  a  luncheon  served  to  the  school 
board. 

In  selecting  subject  matter  for  class  work,  emphasis  is  placed  upon 
methods  of  preparing  appetizing  dishes  from  the  less  expensive  materials, 
such  as  the  cheaper  cuts  of  meat  and  the  less  popular  vegetables,  in  order 


164  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

to  impress  upon  the  girls  the  idea  that  good  cooking  is  not  necessarily 
expensive  cooking,  and  that  economy  is  an  essential  in  good  housekeeping. 
The  course  also  emphasizes  the  more  substantial  elements  in  cookery 
rather  than  what  are  sometimes  termed  "frills."  For  example,  only, one 
lesson  in  the  year  is  given  to  salads. 

In  the  conduct  of  the  classes,  each  girl  is  provided  with  a  set  of  the 
essential  cooking  utensils,  which  must  be  kept  in  orderly  fashion  in  the 
cabinet  assigned  to  her.  Each  lesson,  with  a  few  exceptions,  is  a  complete 
unit.  For  example,  in  a  lesson  on  the  cooking  of  cereals,  the  chemical  and 
biological  principles  involved  and  the  relative  merits  of  different  methods 
of  cooking  are  discussed.  The  pupils  then  individually  test  these  methods 
by  cooking  the  cereals  in  accordance  with  the  principles  discussed  and 
noting  the  effect  of  different  processes. 

Such  a  lesson  also  calls  for  prompt  and  systematic  work  on  the  part 
of  each  student,  since  the  work  must  be  completed,  the  dishes  washed  and 
returned  to  their  places,  and  the  laboratory  left  in  perfect  order  for  the 
next  class,  which  will  assemble  within  five  minutes  after  the  first  is  dis- 
missed. 

In  the  study  of  house  planning,  attention  is  called  to  the  points  to  be 
noted  in  the  selection  of  a  rented  house  and  the  choice  of  the  site  for  a 
house  which  is  to  be  built,  such  as  drainage  of  the  lot,  relation  of  the 
house  to  the  direction  of  sunlight  and  prevailing  winds,  provision  for 
proper  sanitation  within  the  house,  provision  for  convenience  in  working 
and  guarding  against  waste  of  time  and  energy  in  useless  steps  and 
movements.  It  also  touches  upon  the  selection  of  furniture'and  the  choice 
of  wall  decorations  and  draperies.  The  time  to  be  devoted  to  house 
planning  is  inadequate  for  more  than  a  few  suggestions  concerning  the 
chief  problems  involved. 

The  organization  of  the  courses  in  home  economics  in  the  High  School 
follows  approved  lines  and  gives  evidence  of  efficient  execution.  The  sug- 
gestions to  be  offered  in  this  field  are  chiefly  in  the  line  of  extension,  and 
many  of  these  suggestions  are  already  in  contemplation  by  the  super- 
visor and  superintendent. 

RECOMMENDATIONS. 

The  next  step  should  be  a  course  in  millinery.  This  could  be  introduced 
without  extra  equipment  of  any  importance,  and  would  add  materially 
to  the  value  of  the  department.  It  is  suggested  further  that  definite 
study  in  fine  art  be  made  a  part  of  the  required  work  of  the  course  in 
domestic  art.  Such  a  study  should  deal  with  problems  of  costume  design, 
house  furnishing,  and  decoration.  In  costume  design,  the  fundamental 
principles  may  be  tested  and  applied  in  color  sketches  and  in  the  dressing 
of  dolls  and  small  models,  as  well  as  in  specific  application  to  such  prob- 
lems as  are  presented  in  the  actual  garments  and  hats  to  be  made  by  the 
individual  students.  The  study  of  house  planning  may  include  the  mak- 
ing, comparing  and  criticizing  of  various  house  plans,  a  study  of  the  cost 
and  durability  of  various  materials,  and  a  study  of  desirable  color  schemes 
and  suitable  furniture.  Such  study  may  be  illustrated  by  water-color 
sketches  and  by  miniature  models  of  rooms  done  in  thin  wood  and  card- 
board, which  bring  out  many  points  not  touched  by  the  flat  sketch. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      165 

It  is  the  common  practice  in  the  teaching  of  domestic  science  to  use 
individual  recipes  calling  for  small  quantities  of  material,  and  allow 
each  pupil  to  perform  all  the  steps  in  each  process.  While  this  plan  is 
generally  satisfactory,  it  gives  the  student  little  or  no  practice  in 
handling  the  larger  quantities  needed  in  the  average  family.  To  meet 
this  need,  two  general  plans  are  being  tried  with  considerable  success 
in  various  places.  The  first  is  that  of  giving  school  credit  for  definite 
home  work,  such  as  preparing  for  the  family  a  recipe  which  has  been 
tried  at  school.  This  plan  may  be  arranged  in  any  school  without 
material  increase  in  expense.  The  second  plan  is  that  of  providing  a 
house  or  a  suite  of  rooms  which  are  to  be  lived  in  and  cared  for  by  the 
students,  each  member  of  the  class  being  responsible  for  certain  work 
for  a  given  length  of  time.  This  plan  has  much  to  recommend  it,  but 
involves  considerable  expense  and  careful  supervision.  The  problem 
of  the  school  lunch  offers  another  metins  of  bringing  real  problems  into 
the  classroom  by  the  preparation  of  a  simple  lunch  for  those  who  re- 
main during  the  noon  hour.  This  plan  is  open  to  the  criticism  that  it 
is  apt  to  narrow  the  work  of  the  class  by  requiring  too  much  time  for 
the  preparation  of  a  few  dishes,  especially  if  large  numbers  are  to  be 
served.  The  immediate  needs  in  the  Leavenworth  High  School  seem 
best  met  by  the  first  plan  outlined. 

It  is  further  suggested  that  a  close  correlation  be  maintained  be- 
tween science  and  cooking  courses.  The  present  educational  tendencies 
suggest  that  science  courses,  particularly  chemistry  and  biology,  be 
planned  to  parallel  the  work  of  the  cooking  classes,  in  order  that  as 
questions  arise  in  the  manipulation  of  food  materials  it  may  be  pos- 
sible to  find  answers  to  them  through  experimentation  in  the  science 
laboratory.  Such  parallel  courses  should  be  taken  simultaneously.  This 
plan  would  go  far  to  forestall  the  distaste  many  girls  profess  for 
science  when  taught  by  formal  methods  and  logical  organization.  By 
the  present  arrangement  of  courses  in  Leavenworth,  many  girls  do  not 
receive  any  instruction  in  chemistry  other  than  that  given  in  the  cook- 
ing laboratory. 

One  of  the  common  criticisms  of  a  school  course  in  household  arts, 
especially  in  the  early  days  of  its  history,  was  that  too  much  time  is 
devoted  to  the  preparing  of  dainty  dishes  and  too  little  to  the  common 
tasks  of  fire-building,  dish-washing,  and  the  plain  cooking  of  meats  and 
vegetables.  Such  critics  are  reminded  that  skill  in  the  preparation  of 
food,  as  in  any  other  mechanical  process,  is  a  matter  of  long-continued 
repetition;  that  ability  to  carry  on  several  processes  at  once,  such  as 
is  required  in  preparing  even  a  simple  meal,  and  to  bring  those  processes 
to  a  successful  issue  at  an  exact  moment,  is  also  the  result  of  long 
experience.  The  school  can  not  give  this  experience;  at  best,  it  can 
only  lay  a  foundation  for  it  and  direct  the  course  it  shall  take.  These 
critics  would  doubtless  be  even  louder  in  their  criticisms  if  the  school 
were  to  confine  its  work  to  the  repetition  of  a  few  fundamental  proc- 
. esses.  It  should  also  be  remembered  that  the  preparation  of  a  dainty 
article  of  food  or  the  making  of  an  attractive  garment  may  often 
awaken  an  interest  leading  to  greater  effort,  whereas  the  more  prosaic 
task  may  have  the  opposite  effect. 


166  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

MANUAL  TRAINING. 

Ella  V.  Dofcbs. 
THE   FUNCTION   OF    MANUAL   TRAINING. 

COMMON  PRACTICE  in  public  schools  has  developed  two  general  types  of 
handwork,  growing  out  of  two  conceptions  of  the  value  of  the  manual 
arts.  In  the  one,  handwork  is  regarded  as  a  cultural  subject,  having 
equal  if  not  greater  value  than  the  accepted  book  subjects  as  a  means  of 
mental  development.  The  other  regards  handwork  as  a  vocational  sub- 
ject, having  subject  matter  of  intrinsic  value.  The  former  seeks  a  broad 
acquaintance  with  tools  and  materials  for  the  sake  of  developing  an  ap- 
preciation of  material  things.  The  latter  emphasizes  technical  skill  with 
a  view  to  later  training  in  a  trade. 

Until  recently,  public-school  courses  in  handwork  have  strongly  em- 
phasized the  cultural  values,  with  the  result  that  often  after  spending 
considerable  time  upon  handwork  the  high-school  graduate  has  a  smat- 
tering of  many  processes  but  no  marketable  skill.  Present  interest  is 
directed  strongly  toward  the  value  and  importance  of  the  vocational  aim 
in  handwork. 

The  public  is  becoming  more  and  more  alive  to  the  fact  that  the  public 
school  must  be  a  school  for  all  the  people,  and  that  the  high  school  should 
not  only  serve  those  who  expect  to  attend  college  and  prepare  for  pro- 
fessional work,  but  should  serve  equally  well  those  who  choose  mechanical 
pursuits.  The  old  apprentice  system  which  guaranteed  full  training  in  a 
given  trade  has  disappeared  with  the  small  shop.  The  modern  factory 
system  has  no  place  for  the  apprentice.  Many  factories  are  recognizing 
this  need  and  establishing  training  schools  in  connection  with  their  shops. 
These  schools,  in  many  instances,  are  doing  excellent  work.  The  public, 
however,  can  not  afford  to  allow  the  training  of  its  workmen  to  become  a 
matter  of  private  enterprise.  The  factory  is  interested  chiefly  in  the 
product,  and  only  secondarily  in  the  boy.  The  temptation  to  narrow  the 
training  given,  in  the  interests  of  the  factory,  would  in  many  instances 
be  too  strong  to  resist.  The  public  must  see  to  it  that  a  broad,  general 
education  parallels  the  technical  training.  This  throws  upon  the  school 
the  obligation  of  providing  opportunity  for  a  reasonable  amount  of  spe- 
cialization in  handwork,  at  least  equal  to  the  opportunity  offered  for 
preparation  for  professional  work.  This  special  study  would  of  necessity 
be  in  addition  to  the  handwork  offered  to  all  students  for  the  sake  of  its 
cultural  value.  The  problems  arising  from  these  obligations  are  all  so 
new  that  there  is  as  yet  no  well-defined  consensus  of  opinion  as  to  the 
extent  to  which  any  single  course  may  be  at  once  cultural  and  vocational. 
Nor  has  any  one  plan  for  vocational  training  as  yet  met  with  universal 
approval,  though  several  plans  are  in  satisfactory  operation. 

The  chief  point  to  be  heeded  is  that  the  two  values  exist,  and  each 
community  must  meet  both  needs  as  fully  as  possible.  The  Russell  Sage 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      167 

Foundation,  through  Dr.  L.  P.  Ayres,  is  making  some  interesting  studies 
concerning  the  extent  to  which  children  enter  local  industries,  and  also 
what  industries  are  to  be  found  in  all  communities,  with  the  proportionate 
number  of  jobs  they  furnish.  These  studies  will  help  solve  the  problem 
of  selecting  the  fields  in  which  it  will  be  profitable  to  offer  specialized 
study  in  the  high  school. 

HANDWORK   IN    THE  LEAVENWORTH    HIGH    SCHOOL. 

The  course  in  manual  training  in  the  Leavenworth  High  School  con- 
sists in  advanced  cabinetmaking  in  the  first  year  and  pattern  making  the 
second  year,  with  a  comprehensive  course  in  mechanical  drawing  open  to 
all  students,  whether  they  have  taken  bench  work  or  not.  The  course  in 
pattern  making  includes  some  study  of  foundry  practice. 

The  cabinetmaking  course  includes  the  making  of  taborets,  tables, 
chairs,  bookcases,  and  other  pieces  <pf  home  furniture.  The  course  is 
organized  on  free  lines,  each  student  selecting  the  project  upon  which  he 
wishes  to  work  and  the  design  for  it,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  super- 
visor. A  sketch  and  working  drawings  are  first  made.  From  these  the 
student  works  out  a  mill  bill  (i.  e.,  a  list  of  the  pieces  of  material  needed 
and  the  dimensions  of  each),  and  a  lumber  bill  (L  e.,  the  amount  and  kind 
of  rough  lumber  needed).  Sometimes  he  takes  his  bill  to  the  lumber  mill 
and  buys  his  own  lumber;  in  most  cases  he  purchases  his  material 
through  the  school.  He  then  proceeds  to  build  and  finish  his  piece  of 
work.  The  number  of  pieces  to  be  completed  by  one  student  in  the  year 
depends  entirely  upon  the  amount  of  work  involved  in  each,  and  varies 
according  to  the  projects  chosen.  Each  pupil  pays  for  his  own  material 
and  owns  the  finished  product.  In  a  few  cases  in  which  a  boy  can  not 
afford  to  buy  material,  he  is  given  work  to  do  for  the  school,  or  is  helped 
to  earn  his  material.  The  projects  all  being  of  their  own  choosing,  each 
worker  usually  has  a  definite  purpose  in  his  work.  He  therefore  wants 
what  he  makes,  and  is  willing  to  make  some  sacrifice,  if  necessary,  to 
obtain  it.  This  definite  purpose  also  furnishes  a  strong  motive  for  good 
workmanship,  and  many  excellent  pieces  of  work  are  turned  out. 

The  course  in  pattern  making  includes  the  making  of  six  common 
•founders'  patterns.  These  patterns  require  great  accuracy  and  call 
into  play  the  pupil's  knowledge  of  both  turning  and  bench  work.  The 
making  of  the  patterns  is  accompanied  by  a  study  of  foundry  problems. 
The  present  equipment  does  not  permit  actual  work  beyond  the  making 
of  the  patterns.  The  equipment  needed  for  the  founding  of  small  pieces 
of  brass  and  white  metal  could  be  installed  at  a  comparatively  small 
cost  and  would  greatly  increase  the  efficiency  of  the  course  in  pattern 
making.  It  could  be  further  supplemented  by  visits  to  local  foundries, 
such  as  the  stove  works. 

MECHANICAL   DRAWING. 

The  course  in  mechanical  drawing  includes  geometric  problems,  work- 
ing drawings,  machine  and  architectural  drawing.  The  geometric 
problems  make  a  concrete  application  of  geometric  principles,  and 
form  an  excellent  parallel  to  the  study  of  geometry.  The  work- 
ing drawings  deal  with  various  projects  in  cabinetmaking  and  machine 


168  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

building.  The  architectural  drawing  includes  house  plans  and  eleva- 
tions. The  climax  of  this  year's  work  is  a  plan  for  remodeling  the 
High  School  building  in  a  way  to  increase  greatly  its  usable  space. 
The  pupils  taking  this  course  have  not  all  had  bench  work.  The  prac- 
tical knowledge  gained  in  handling  materials  and  the  use  of  working 
drawings  in  bench  work  is  of  great  advantage  to  the  student  of  me- 
chanical drawing,  and  is  evident  in  a  comparison  of  the  work  of  those 
who  have  and  those  who  have  not  had  bench  work.  Occasional  excur- 
sions are  made  to  furniture  factories,  which  give  the  students  an 
insight  into  actual  factory  problems  and  conditions  and  a  better 
appreciation  of  the  function  of  the  draughtsman's  work.  A  readjust- 
ment of  required  and  elective  work  in  the  High  School  which  would 
allow  the  student  of  mechanical  drawing  more  time  at  the  bench  would 
undoubtedly  be  of  advantage  in  the  study  of  that  subject. 

In  addition  to  the  work  above  outlined,  advantage  is  taken  of  oppor- 
tunities for  gaining  practical  experience  in  repairing  and  remodeling 
the  classroom.  For  example,  the  present  class  is  fitting  the  tool  room 
with  shelves  and  cabinets  for  a  systematic  care  of  the  tools  and  small 
stock,  such  as  nails,  screws,  etc.  Another  group  is  at  work  enclosing 
the  open  stairway  leading  to  the  hall  on  the  first  floor.  The  enclosing 
of  this  stairway  will  shut  out  much  of  the  noise  of  the  workshop  and 
add  greatly  to  the  comfort  of  the  classes  on  the  first  floor. 

RECOMMENDATIONS. 

The  writer  finds  little  to  criticize  and  much  to  commend  in  the 
organization  and  conduct  of  the  manual-training  department  of  the  High 
School.  The  work  given  is  practical  and  the  standards  of  workmanship 
are  high.  The  suggestions  to  be  offered  are  chiefly  along  the  line  of 
extension  and  progress. 

A  closer  correlation  between  handwork  and  book  subjects,  such  as 
geometry,  physics,  chemistry  and  industrial  history,  would  add  to.  the 
interest  in  each  field.  The  advantage  of  practical  experience  in  real 
problems,  such  as  the  two  cited,  is  not  apt  to  be  overestimated.  There 
are  usually  some  members  of  every  class  who  are  much  happier  and 
more  successful  in  work  of  this  type,  and  the  work  need  not  be  confined 
to  the  workshop,  but  may  be  extended  to  include  any  problems  which 
are  within  the  ability  of  the  students. 

The  fact  that  Leavenworth  has  a  large  variety  of  manufacturing 
interests  with  which  some  of  her  high-school  pupils  will  probably  be 
connected  in  the  future  suggests  a  close  correlation  between  them  and 
the  work  of  the  High  School. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      169 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

MATHEMATICS  IN  THE  HIGH  SCHOOL. 

Walter  S.  Monroe. 
THE   COURSE   OF   STUDY   IN   ALGEBRA. 

THE  mathematics  in  the  Leavenworth  High  School  consists  of  one  and 
one-half  years  devoted  to  the  study  of  algebra,  one  year  to  plane  geom- 
etry, one-half  year  to  solid  geometry,  and  a  year  to  trigonometry.  It  will 
be  illuminating  to  take  an  inventory  of  the  course  in  algebra  to  determine 
what  occupies  one-fourth  of  the  time  which  the  boys  and  girls  of  Leaven- 
wor+h  spend  in  high  school  for  a  year  and  a  half.  What  is  said  with 
reference  to  Leavenworth  is  equally  true  for  many  if  not  most  cities  in 
Kansas,  because  of  text  which  is  prescribed  by  law.  In  the  first  place, 
they  solve  the  grand  total  of  sixty-nine  problems,  which  might  possibly 
be  practical.  They  have  learned  how  to  operate  with  negative  expo- 
nents, although  they  will  not  have  a  real  need  for  them  before  they  study 
calculus  in  college.  They  have  solved  intricate  fractional  and  radical 
equations,  which  are  far  more  complicated  than  they  will  ever  meet  in  life 
outside  of  the  schoolroom  unless  they  perchance  choose  engineering  as  a 
profession.  They  have  spent  several  weeks  studying  factoring,  although 
only  the  very  simplest  cases  of  factoring  are  useful  in  solving  practical 
problems,  and  these  very  seldom.  An  elaborate  study  has  been  made 
of  fractions  with  binomial  and  larger  polynomial  denominators,  although 
such  fractions  seldom  if  ever  occur  in  practical  problems.  Division  has 
been  studied,  although  the  only  use  which  is  made  of  it  (beyond  the  most 
simple  cases)  is  to  find  the  highest  common  divisor  by  the  Euclidean  proc- 
ess, which  is  itself  an  obsolete  topic. 

A  careful  examination  of  the  course  of  study  fails  to  reveal  anywhere 
even  a  passing  consideration  of  the  situations  in  practical  life  in  which 
the  algebraic  symbols  and  operations  are  used.  Thus  the  subject  matter 
of  the  course  is  abstracted — taken  away  from  practical  situations  in  life 
in  which  it  may  be  used. 

A  survey  of  this  abstracted  subject  matter  reveals  the  further  fact 
that  only  a  small  per  cent  of  it  will  ever  be  used  in  practical  life  by  any 
one  except  those  few  who  pursue  certain  technical  professions. 

The  order  in  which  the  several  topics  are  taken  up  is  also  significant. 
The  several  operations  of  algebra— the  four  fundamental  operations,  fac- 
toring, the  work  of  fractions,  etc. — have  scarcely  any  use  except  as  they 
occur  in  solving  equations.  Thus  it  seems  that  if  this  abstracted  subject 
matter  must  be  taught,  it  would  be  so  arranged  that  the  pupil  would  find 
a  use  for  the  operation  at  the  time  or  before  he  Ftudied  it.  However,  an 
examination  of  the  text  shows  that  the  order  is  such  that  the  pupil  must 
study  a  process  and  be  drilled  upon  it  before  he  is  given  any  suggestion 
of  its  use  or  allowed  to  use  it  in  solving  even  an  abstract  equation. 

It  was  found  that  the  teachers  were  altering  the  order  of  the  text  in  a 
number  of  instances.  This  is  commendable,  and  greater  initiative  will  be 


170  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

profitable  if  the  several  processes  of  algebra  are  brought  closer  to  their 
application.  One  case  of  initiative  on  the  part  of  a  teacher  was  found 
which  produced  just  the  opposite  result,  and  while  the  exercise  of  initia- 
tive is  to  be  commended,  the  result  which  was  produced  is  to  be  criticized. 
The  examination  of  the  text  also  reveals  the  fact  that  the  boys  and 
girls  who  began  algebra  last  September  (1913)  had  met  with  only  twenty- 
three  equations  and  a  few  problems  by  the  middle  of  March  (1914).  This 
means  two  things :  First,  the  boys  and  girls  of  Leavenworth,  after  study- 
ing algebra  for  approximately  seven  months,  could  not  solve  equations 
which  in  a  great  many  high  schools  the  pupils  can  solve  after  two  to  four 
months.  Second,  the  boys  and  girls  of  Leavenworth  have  been  kept  work- 
ing for  seven  months  with  algebraic  processes  which  they  have  had  no 
opportunity  to  apply  even  in  an  abstract  way. 

THE   TEACHING   OF   GEOMETRY. 

In  geometry  the  teacher  is  exercising  initiative  to  the  extent  of  pre- 
paring mimeographed  lists  of  the  theorems  and  exercises  which  are  given 
to  the  pupils  by  way  of  assignment.  These  exercises  and  theorems  are 
selected  by  the  teacher  from  a  number  of  texts  and  are  organized  "accord- 
ing to  the  recommendations  of  the  Committee  of  Fifteen."  The  teacher 
reports  that  "the  main  object  is  to  make  the  pupil  work  out  his  own  proof 
instead  of  memorizing  proofs  in  the  text."  Such  great  exercise  of  initia- 
tive is  to  be  especially  commended,  and  the  fact  that  the  course  is  based 
upon  the  Report  of  the  Committee  of  Fifteen  shows  that  the  teacher  has 
kept  in  touch  with  recent  movements.  But  it  should  be  pointed  out  that 
the  Committee  of  Fifteen  were  primarily  concerned  with  determining  a 
list  of  theorems  essential  to  the  field  of  geometry,  and  only  secondarily 
with  applications  which  are  made  of  geometry  in  actual  life. 

Thus  the  subject  matter  of  geometry  as  it  is  taught  in  Leavenworth  is 
essentially  abstract.  As  such  it  is  well  taught,  and  the  teacher  is  to  be 
commended  for  her  initiative  and  the  energy  which  she  is  putting  into 
the  course.  But  if  some  of  this  initiative  and  energy  were  directed 
towards  relating  the  theorems  of  geometry  to  practical  life,  a  much 
superior  course  might  be  worked  out. 

The  course  in  trigonometry  is  elective  and  follows  closely  Wentworth's 
text.  A  full  year  is  given  to  the  subject.  That  this  is  too  much  time  is 
indicated  by  the  fact  that  the  course  is  valued  at  one-half  unit,  or  half  of 
a  year's  work. 

RECOMMENDATIONS   CONCERNING   THE   COURSE   OF   STUDY. 

To  begin  with,  the  teachers  of  mathematics  in  the  Leavenworth  High 
School  should  collect  problems  in  which  high-school  boys  and  girls  may 
be  caused  to  become  interested.  Some  such  problems  can  be  obtained 
from  other  algebra  texts.  Others  can  be  found  in  the  fields  of  physics, 
manual  training,  mechanics,  surveying  and  calculus.  A  study  of  the 
adult  activities  of  Leavenworth  will  yield  a  number  of  suitable  problems. 

The  list  of  problems  thus  collected  should  be  graded,  and  the  problems 
which  are  too  difficult  or  which  come  from  too  highly  specialized  situa- 
tions should  be  eliminated.  At  first  these  problems  may  be  used  simply 
as  applications  for  the  processes  of  algebra  and  the  theorems  of  geometry 
which  are  now  taught. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      171 

This  list  of  problems  can  be  mimeographed  and  placed  in  the  hands  of 
the  pupils.  Their  present  text  can  serve  as  a  reference  for  obtaining  the 
necessary  algebraic  and  geometric  tools  for  solving  these  problems  and  as 
a  source  of  drill  exercises.  To  provide  time  for  these  problems  of  ap- 
plication, eliminations  can  be  made  from  the  subject  matter  of  the 
present  courses  in  algebra  and  geometry.  For  example,  long  division, 
factoring  beyond  simple  cases,  negative  exponents,  much  of  radicals, 
complicated  fractional  equations,  literal  equations,  etc.,  can  well  be 
omitted.  But  this  should  be  only  the  beginning.  It  should  be  the  aim 
to  work  toward  a  course  in  mathematics  whose  core  will  be  these  problems 
together  with  the  practical  situations  from  which  they  are  taken.  Along 
with  the  problems  the  pupils  should  be  given  the  algebraic  symbols  and 
operations,  the  geometric  and  trigonometric  facts,  and  even  the  opera- 
tions from  analytics  and  the  calculus  which  they  need  to  solve  the  prob- 
lems. Sufficient  exercises  should  be  provided  for  the  drill  which  is  nec- 
essary in  order  to  secure  facility  in  performing  mathematical  operations. 

Along  with  the  problems,  the  practical  situations  from  which  the 
problems  come  must  be  studied.  For  example,  if  a  problem  is  taken  from 
physics,  the  situation  in  physics  which  produced  the  problem  must  be 
understood  by  the  pupils  before  they  can  be  expected  to  solve  the  prob- 
lem; or  if  a  problem  is  given  from  one  of  the  local  industries,  the 
practical  situation  which  produced  the  problem  must  be  studied.  Practi- 
cal situations  which  produce  mathematical  problems  are  legitimate  sub- 
ject matter  for  the  class  in  mathematics  which  is  solving  the  problems. 
In  fact,  the  practical  situation  must  be  clearly  understood  by  the  pupils 
before  they  can  possibly  work  the  problems  intelligently. 

Such  a  course  as  we  have  indicated  should  not  cover  more  than  two 
years'  work.  In  one  school  where  such  a  course  has  been  given  it  is 
followed  by  a  year's  work  on  algebra  and  geometry  of  the  usual  type. 
This  year  should  be  elective.  The  practical  part  of  trigonometry  will  be 
absorbed  in  the  reconstructed  course  we  have  outlined,  and  when  that  is 
accomplished  a  separate  course  in  trigonometry  should  not  be  given  in 
the  high  school. 

ALGEBRAICAL   ABILITIES. 

To  test  the  results  in  the  case  of  algebra,  a  series  of  six  tests*  was 
planned  for  those  students  who  began  the  study  of  algebra  last  September. 
The  tests  called  for  the  following  algebraic  operations: 
TEST  A.     4(3a?  — 4)  =. 

—  Ix  —  2        05  +  1 

TEST  B.     +  :=.      (Simply  reduce  to  a  common  denominator.) 

6  8 

TEST  C.     35x  —  — 41.      (Result  to  be  left  in  fractional  form.) 
TEST  D.     — 4x  +  «*>  —  3x  —  5.      (Only  to  transpose  terms.) 
TEST  E.     — 7x  —  3x  —  6  +  4.      (Terms  to  be  collected.) 

—  3x  —  2        x  +  2 

TEST  F. = .      (To  be  solved  completely.) 

4  6 

*  Owing  to  a  misunderstanding,  test  B  was  not  given  in  the  Leavenworth  High  School. 


172  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

This  series  of  tests  was  selected  because  of  the  fundamental  im- 
portance of  the  equation.  In  solving  problems  the  conditions  of  the 
problem  are  expressed  in  equation  form  and  then  the  equation  is  solved. 
And  besides,  the  work  of  the  first  year  is  centered  about  the  equation. 
The  pupils  use  the  algebraic  operations  in  a  practical  way  only  as  tney 
occur  in  equations. 

In  giving  a  test,  a  copy  was  given  to  each  pupil  and  printed  directions 
were  followed.  The  pupils  were  asked  to  write  their  names  and  the 
date  and  to  read  the  directions  at  the  top  of  the  page.  When  they  had 
signified  that  they  understood  what  they  were  to  do,  the  signal  to  begin 
work  was  given. 

The  time  allowed  was:  Test  A,  2  minutes;  test  B,  3  minutes;  test  C, 
1  minute ;  test  D,  2  minutes ;  test  E,  3  minutes ;  test  F,  12  minutes. 

To  provide  data  for  comparison  the  same  tests  were  given  to  all  of 
the  corresponding  classes  in  the  Oklahoma  City  High  School.  The 
same  instructions  were  followed,  and  only  three  persons  were  employed 
in  scoring  all  of  the  tests.  With  the  exception  of  test  F,  in  the  Leaven- 
worth  High  School,  the  tests  were  given  in  March.  Test  F  was  given 
in  the  Leavenworth  High  School  in  May.  The  average  number  of 
examples  attempted,  number  right,  and  the  per  cent  right  for  each 
school,  are  given  in  the  following  tables : 

TABLE  XXXIII. 

Leavenworth  High  School — 79  pupils. 

Test     A.  B.  C.  D.  E.  F. 

Attempted 18.0     8.8       6.9       8.8       6.2 

Right 15.3     ....       5.0       3.8       5.6       1.4 

Per  cent  right 85         57         56         63         23 

Oklahoma  City  High  School — 197  pupils. 

Test     A.  B.  C.  D.  E.  F. 

Attempted 17.0       4.8       7.9       9.3     10.2       5.7 

Right 14.6       1.5       6.8       7.6       6.8       1.9 

Per  cent  right 86         30         86         82         66         32 

An  analysis  of  the  mistakes  made  by  the  pupils  in  Leavenworth  in 
test  F  gives  the  following  data: 

Total  number  of  mistakes  in  sign 400 

Mistakes  in  sign  in  transposition 77 

Mistakes  of  using  sign  wrong  in  addition 28 

Mistakes  in  sign  in  division 5 

Mistakes  in  copying 59 

Mistakes  in  arithmetic,  any  sort 87 

Using  denominator  wrongly  in  two-term  equation    158 

Using  denominator  wrongly  in  three-term    equation     10 

Using  common  denominator  wrongly  on  monomial  term 35 

One  term  of  binomial  not  multiplied 14 

Term    omitted    ! 10 

x  omitted 8 

Incomplete  as  —  .T  =  5 2 

Of  the  400  mistakes  in  sign,  110  occur  in  addition  (and  subtraction), 
division,  and  transposition.  The  remaining  290  occur  in  multiplication 
and  in  the  removal  of  signs  of  aggregation.  All  of  these  operations  are 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      173 

given  in  the  first  chapters  of  the  text  and  were  probably  studied  in  the 
first  month  of  school  and  used  frequently  in  the  following  months.  When 
this  test  was  given  in  the  seventh  month  of  school,  400  mistakes  in  sign 
were  made  in  solving  437  examples. 

The  mistakes  due  to  omitting  a  term  or  x,  failing  to  multiply  one  term 
of  a  binomial,  and  to  copying,  total  ninety-one.  These  are  purely  matters 
of  carelessness.  The  eighty-seven  mistakes,  in  arithmetic  should  probably 
receive  the  same  classification.  The  mistakes  is  using  the  denominator 
wrongly  total  203. 

Upon  the  basis  of  the  results  of  these  tests  and  of  the  observations  of 
the  writer  which  corroborate  these  results,  three  recommendations  are  / 
made  with  reference  to  the  teaching  of  algebraic  processes.  First,  the 
instructors  should  evaluate  the  several  algebraic  processes  which  are 
given  in  the  text  and  select  those  which  are  fundamental  to  the  solution 
of  equations.  These,  together  with  the  equation,  should  be  given  first 
rank  in  importance.  Second,  sufficient  drill  should  be  given  to  insure  a 
higher  degree  of  accuracy.  To  make  this  drill  most  effective,  there  must 
be  concentration  and  a  feeling  that  it  is  good  for  something.  This  leads 
to  the  third  recommendation :  The  algebraic  processes  involved  in  solving 
equations  should  be  taught  so  that  the  pupils  will  realize  their  use,  and 
the  equation  itself  should  be  taught  so  that  the  pupils  will  appreciate  its 
value  as  a  tool  in  solving  problems. 


174  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

NORMAL-TRAINING  COURSE. 

W.  W.  Charters. 
THE   FUNCTION   OF   THE   COURSE. 

THIS  normal  department  belongs  to  the  type  of  normal  department 
found  in  the  high  schools  of  Kansas  as  provided  by  the  state  laws  and  sup- 
ported in  part  from  state  funds.  In  it  are  taught  the  subjects  prescribed 
by  law. 

It  has  a  further  duty  to  perform  in  Leavenworth,  however,  since 
vacancies  in  the  first  four  grades  of  the  schools  are  filled  from  the 
graduates  of  this  department  after  they  have  taught  one  year  or  have 
substituted,  as  occasion  requires,  for  one  year. 

This  means  that  Leavenworth,  a  city  of  over  20,000  people,  paying  a 
median  salary  of  more  than  $650  to  its  teachers,  is  supplied  almost  en- 
tirely in  the  first  four  grades  and  in  part  in  the  upper  grades  by  teachers 
who  have  only  a  high-school  education  (partly  professional)  and  have  had 
one  year's  experience  in  teaching  when  selected. 

Moreover,  it  is  not  required  that  prospective  teachers  take  manual 
arts,  sewing,  nature  study  or  physical  training  during  their  high-school 
course,  although  they  are  required  to  teach  these  subjects  in  the  grades. 
Drawing  is  studied  two  periods  a  week  for  a  year — an  inadequate  amount 
of  time.  Music  is  taught  for  one  period  a  week,  which  may  be  inadequate. 

RECOMMENDATIONS. 

I  recommend  the  following  changes : 

(1)  That  preference  should  not  be  given  in  a  city  of  20,000  people  to 
graduates  of  its  own  training  class.     The  training  so  secured  can  not  be 
the  equal  of  that  received  by  a  normal-school  graduate  in  either  quantity 
or  quality.     The  city  can  not  maintain  the  equal  of  a  normal-school 
faculty.     Moreover,  there  is  a  great  tendency  to  inbreeding.     There  are 
undoubtedly  cases  in  which  the  graduates  of  the  training  department  in  a 
small  city  are  superior  to  applicants  trained  elsewhere,  but  that  is  the 
exception  and  not  a  rule.    Consequently,  when  teachers  are  to  be  selected, 
the  greatest  care  should  be  taken  to  select  the  best  teachers  available, 
whether  trained  in  the  home  training  classes  or  not. 

(2)  The  normal  department  in  the  High  School  should  have,  as. at 
present,  one  course  conforming  to  the  state  requirements,  and  should  aim 
to  train  teachers  under  state  regulations  primarily  for  rural  and  small 
graded  schools.    But  if  it  attempts  to  train  teachers  for  the  Leavenworth 
schools  there  should  be  a  three-year  course,  including  the  senior  year  in 
the  High  School  and  two  postgraduate  years.     During  their  high-school 
course  those  members  of  this  department  who  expect  to  teach  in  the 
Leavenworth  schools  should  be  required  to  take  full  courses  in  cooking, 
sewing,  nature  study,  manual  arts,  music,  drawing  and  physical  educa- 
tion with  other  high-school  students,  but  preferably  in  classes  containing 
only  teachers  in  training,  so  that  attention  may  be  given  both  to  subject 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      175 

matter  and  to  methods  of  teaching  and  organization.  If  these  prospective 
candidates  are  taught  with  other  high-school  students,  then  in  a  course  (or 
courses)  in  special  methods  the  problems  of  teaching  in  these  subjects 
should  be  discussed. 

(3)  The  teacher  of  the  normal  department  should  be  paid  a  salary  at 
least  the  equal  of  the  high-school  principal  in  order  that  as  efficient  a 
director  of  teaching  as  possible  may  be  obtained.     Such  a  teacher  could 
be  utilized  to  take  direction  of  the  technique  of  classroom  instruction  in 
the  grades  of  the  whole  system.    He  could  help  in  spreading  the  latest  in- 
formation, in  directing  experiments,  and  in  stimulating  the  teachers  to 
investigate  more  efficient  methods  <of  teaching. 

(4)  The  course  of  study  for  the  normal  department  should  be  worked 
out  with  extreme  care,  so  that  all  high-school  courses  already  offered  may 
be  utilized  to  get  the  full  use  of  expert*  in  each  line.    Department  teachers 
in  the  upper  grades  may  offer  courses  in  special  methods  of  teaching  the 
special  subjects  of  each,  and  the  department  teachers  should  be  selected 
with  this  possibility  in  mind. 

(5)  The  board  should  immediately  lay  down  the  requirement  that  no 
teacher  will  be  employed  who  has  had  no  experience  as  a  teacher,  and 
none  who  has  not  had  at  least  one  year  of  professional  study  beyond  the 
High  School.     This  should  be  increased  to  two  years  if  the  salaries  paid 
will  command  such  training;  and  if  not  at  present,  the  demand  should  be 
made  as  soon  as  possible. 


176  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

PHYSICAL  TRAINING  FOR  BOYS  IN  THE  HIGH  SCHOOL. 

Walter  R.  Smith. 

THE  HIGH  SCHOOL  is  built  upon  a  block  with  two  churches,  a  parsonage, 
and  the  public  library.  The  building  covers  practically  the  whole  of  the 
ground  owned,  so  that  the  ordinary  needs  of  a  growing  High  School  will 
be  met  with  difficulty  and  great  expense  even  without  considering  play- 
grounds or  a  gymnasium. 

With  the  possibilities  of  expanding  the  grounds  about  the  building 
removed,  and  no  other  plans  devised,  physical  training  has  been  neglected. 
Athletic  teams  worthy  of  the  city  have  not  been  developed.  A  cadet 
corps  is  maintained  without  drill  grounds  at  hand.  Gymnastics  have  re- 
ceived no  attention.  School  loyalty  and  esprit  de  corps  should  not  be  de- 
pendent upon  athletics;  but  many  high  schools  have  found  that  regular 
teams  aid  greatly  in  maintaining  local  spirit  and  holding  boys  and  young 
men  in  school.  They  aid  greatly  in  discipline  of  the  higher  sort.  Failing 
to  develop  the  athletic  spirit  in  this  age  frequently  means  a  failure  in 
the  development  of  the  organizing  ability  and  united  effort  needed  in 
school  enterprises.  A  large  organization,  almost  wholly  of  high-school 
boys,  was  maintained  through  the  city  Y.  M.  C.  A.  This  organization 
was  a  worthy  one,  doing  efficient  work,  and  the  high-school  principal  was 
one  of  the  three  sponsors  for  it.  But  how  much  better  for  the  school 
would  it  have  been  to  have  this  organization  within  the  school,  working 
for  the  school,  centering  its  loyalty  and  spirit  about  the  school!  Had 
there  been  a  good  spirit,  grounded  upon  athletic  prowess,  with  the  good 
name  of  the  school  and  her  wider  interests  at  heart,  this  might  well  have 
been  a  purely  high-school  organization. 

NEED   OF   AN    ATHLETIC   FIELD. 

The  situation  at  present  is  a  very  difficult  one.  This  was  felt  by  the 
Board  of  Education,  superintendent,  principal,  and  the  boys  themselves. 
A  new  athletic  spirit  is  awakening,  however.  The  writer  witnessed  the 
celebration  of  the  winning  of  a  district  basket-ball  championship.  Loyalty 
was  -not  wanting.  But  winning  seemed  to  be  too  new  for  Leavenworth, 
the  largest  city  playing  in  the  district.  This  might  well  be  expected 
without  a  gymnasium,  a  regular  field  or  a  permanent  place  for  practice. 
These  handicaps  produced  discouragement  past,  present,  and  for  the 
future. 

No  land  is  near  the  High  School  to  be  purchased  for  an  athletic  field 
without  considerable  expense.  But  lack  of  better  planning  in  the  past 
should  not  prevent  action  in  the  future.  Every  block  in  the  neighbor- 
hood is  built  upon.  Some  land,  however,  can  be  purchased  at  much  less 
expense  than  many  other  cities  have  paid  under  similar  conditions. 
Within  a  short  walk  of  the  High  School  is  at  least  one  block  which,  con- 
sidering its  possibilities,  Leavenworth  could  well  afford  to  buy.  This 
block  is  not  only  near  the  High  School,  but  is  only  a  short  distance  from 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      177 

two  of  the  larger  grade  schools — Oak  Street  and  Third  Avenue.  A  gym- 
nasium could  be  built  in  one  corner  of  it  and  a  stadium  easily  planned.  It 
would  not  only  provide  for  the  urgent  needs  of  the  High  School,  but  could 
be  freely  used  by  the  two  grade  schools  now  almost  wholly  without  play- 
grounds, and  might  serve  as  a  clearing-house  for  all  the  grade-school 
contests  in  the  city.  It  would  also  provide  a  summer  playground  in  the 
heart  of  the  best  residence  district  in  the  city,  where  no  sign  of  one  exists 
at  present.  All  of  these  purposes  combined  should  make  it  worth  while, 
and  it  would  be  less  expensive  than  the  neglect  to  provide  any  of  these 
things  in  the  past  would  warrant  the  city  in  expecting. 

PLAN    SUGGESTED. 

Probably  half  of  this  block  could  be  purchased  and  a  good  practice 
field  graded  up  for  five  thousand  dollars.  This  might  be  done  to  start 
matters,  and  larger  extensions  be  planned  for  the  future.  The  writer, 
however,  believes  that  Leavenworth  is  about  ready  for  a  larger  plan.  A 
canvass  of  the  situation  reveals  the  fact  that  the  present  tax  levy  will 
provide  only  for.  the  running  expenses  of  the  schools  and  a  small  surplus 
that  will  be  needed  for  the  next  few  years  in  repairing,  equipping  and 
modernizing  the  grade-school  buildings  and  adding  to  their  playgrounds. 
If  the  urgent  needs  of  the  High  School  for  physical  training  are  to  be 
met  a  small  bond  levy  is  indispensable. 

Nor  will  that  issue  be  a  hardship  upon  the  people.  Leavenworth  has 
been  heavily  in  debt,  and  that  debt  has  been  reduced  only  by  taxing  her 
citizens  heroically.  It  has  not  only  been  largely  reduced,  however,  but 
it  never  was  a  school  debt  to  any  large  extent.  The  bonded  debt  of  the 
school  board  is  now  less  than  sixty  thousand  dollars.  This  is  less  than 
the  school  debt  of  any  other  first-class  city  in  Kansas.  The  comparative 
debt  of  the  schools  of  the  first-class  cities  of  Kansas  in  1912  is  shown  in 
Table  XXXIV:* 

TABLE  XXXIV. 

Total.  Per  capita. 

Wichita   $531,500.00  $10.13 

Topeka    529,161.00  12.11 

Hutchinson    261,500 .00  15 . 98 

Atchison 142,000.00  8.65 

Fort  Scott    135.000 .00  12 . 90 

Coffeyville    115,000.00  9.06 

Pittsburg    90,000 .00  6.09 

Parsons 86,000 .00  6 . 90 

Leavenworth    65,307 .78  3.37 

The  school  tax  and  school  debt  have  been  comparatively  light,  and 
are  so  to-day.  Progressive  and  effective  schools  cost  money,  but  they 
return  it  many-fold.  And  the  Leavenworth  of  the  future  will  suffer  in 
the  competitive  struggle  for  existence  and  progress  unless  a  more  liberal 
policy  is  adopted. 

If  Leavenworth  can  rise  to  the  emergency  and  meet  the  demands  of 
progressive  schools,  the  first  line  of  expansion  is  clear.  All  seem  to 
be  agreed.  The  citizens,  Board  of  Education,  superintendent  and  teach- 

*  The  writer  has  been  unable  to  obtain  the  figures  for  Kansas  City,  Kan.,  for  1912,  but 
reports  for  other  years  indicate  a  large  actual  and  average  per  capita  debt. 

—12 


178  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

. 

ers,  together  with  every  member  of  the  Survey  Staff,  are  of  the  opinion 
that  the  thing  most  needed  is  extra  space  for  playgrounds.  A  compre- 
hensive plan  should  be  devised  to  provide  adequate  play  space  for  each 
school  in  the  system.  The  budget  necessary  to  carry  out  such  a  plan 
should  be  carefully  made  out,  and  a  campaign  of  education  of  the  public 
up  to  the  necessary  liberality  to  carry  out  these  plans  should  be  in- 
augurated at  the  earliest  possible  date.  Leavenworth  faces  a  critical 
period  in  her  history,  and  the  public  school  is  a  good  point  of  departure 
for  a  civic  renaissance.  The  reception  of  such  a  plan,  if  properly 
elaborated,  would  be  a  test  of  her  future  possibilities. 

In  the  meantime  something  might  be  done  to  meet  urgent  needs. 
The  high-school  boys  are  started  and  are  developing  school  spirit.  This 
should  be  cultivated.  Temporary  grounds  can  be  obtained  and  public 
patronage  for  all  sorts  of  athletic  events  built  up  by  judicious  cam- 
paigning. The  physical  director  should  give  some  time  to  high-school 
boys,  and  some  form  of  physical  training  should  be  given  regular 
high-school  credit.  Supineness  on  the  part  of  the  school  authorities, 
including  the  Board  of  Education,  at  this  stage  would  not  only  be  a 
serious  mistake,  but  would  amount  to  inexcusable  negligence.' 

It  has  been  shown  in  another  place  that  the  tax  rate  for  schools  has 
been  uniformly  lower  in  Leavenworth  up  to  1912  than  in  any  other 
first-class  city  in  Kansas,  and  that  while  Leavenworth  has  increased 
her  annual  rate  to  six  mills  on  the  dollar,  it  is  still  beneath  the  average 
for  those  cities.  All  these  tests  show  that  Leavenworth,  judged  by  the 
Kansas  standard,  has  long  been  and  still  is  failing  to  support  her 
schools  liberally.  If  the  bonded  debt  of  the  city  be  considered  large,  it 
must  be  remembered  that  only  a  little  more  than  one-twelfth  of  it  is 
school  debt,  and  there  is  no  reason  for  charging  it  up  to  the  school 
board  and  the  public  schools. 

NOTE. — The  omission  of  physical  training  for  girls  in  the  report  does  not  signify  that 
it  is  considered  unimportant  by  the  Survey  Staff.  It  is  just  as  important  that  provision 
be  made  for  the  girls  as  for  boys. — DIRECTOR  OF  SURVEY. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENVVORTH,  KAN.      179 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

SCIENCE  IN  THE  HIGH  SCHOOL. 

Walter  S.  Monroe. 
THE  courses  offered  are  in  botany,  chemistry  and  physics. 

BOTANY. 

Owing  to  lack  of  the  necessary  equipment,  botany  is  taught  pri- 
marily from  books.  Instead  of  commenting  upon  the  subject  as  now 
taught,  we  shall  call  attention  to  certain  community  needs  and  suggest 
some  features  of  a  course  which  would  contribute  to  those  needs. 

There  is  a  vital  demand  for  a  high-school  course  in  which  boys  and 
girls  may  learn  of  the  propagation  and  cultivation  of  plants.  How  to 
produce  and  care  for  plants  should  form  the  core  of  the  course,  and  the 
form,  structure,  activity,  morphology,  evolution  and  classification  of 
plants  and  their  parts  should  be  studied  only  so  far  as  they  contribute 
to  that  end.  The  laboratory  work  should  include  actual  work  with  plants. 
In  one  school  the  writer  has  observed  students  setting  out  shrubs  to 
beautify  the  lawns  of  the  residents  of  the  city.  The  work  was  done  under 
the  direction  of  the  teacher.  Valuable  service  was  rendered  to  the 
owners  of  the  lawns,  and  the  students  received  excellent  laboratory 
training. 

Often  the  students'  own  homes  will  furnish  an  excellent  laboratory. 
Flower  beds,  cold  frames,  the  garden,  the  lawn,  and  plants  for  the  house, 
offer  excellent  opportunities  for  the  best  kind  of  laboratory  work.  In 
Massachusetts  a  home  project  plan  very  similar  to  this  is  being  tried  for 
teaching  agriculture.  (See  Bulletin  No.  8  [1914],  United  States  Bureau 
of  Education.)  In  addition  there  should  be  a  school  laboratory,  and  if 
possible  a  school  garden.  The  Colebrook  Academy  in  a  town  of  only 
3000  is  equipped  with  a  small  greenhouse,  and  such  is  not  beyond  the 
future  possibilities  of  Leavenworth. 

CHEMISTRY. 

For  the  teaching  of  chemistry  there  is  a  well-equipped  laboratory  and 
a  recitation  room  which  is  used  in  common  with  the  classes  in  physics. 
Except  for  the  last  six  weeks,  the  course  follows  the  state  texts,  Hessler 
and  Smith,  and  White's  Laboratory  Manual.  The  last  six  weeks  are 
devoted  (a)  in  the  laboratory  to  food  and  qualitative  analysis,  (6)  in  the 
lecture  room  to  household,  food,  and  practical  chemistry. 

A  parallel  course  in  practical  chemistry  is  given  by  lectures,  illustrated 
in  most  cases  by  lantern  slides,  and  dealing  with  such  subjects  as  natural 
waters,  impurities  and  purification,  nitrogen  and  its  compounds,  the 
making  of  ice  and  liquid  air,  the  manufacture  of  sulphuric  acid,  and 
ionization.  Visits  were  made  to  plants  employing  chemical  processes,  as: 
water  softening,  continuous  and  intermittent  systems;  laundry  processes, 
flour  bleaching,  purification  of  city  water,  foundry  processes,  etc.  Also 
a  visit  was  made  to  Kansas  City,  to  the  soap  factory  of  Peet  Bros.,  Griffin 
Wheel  Works,  glass  works,  brass  foundry,  and  government  assay  and 
testing  laboratories. 


180  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

PHYSICS. 

For  physics  there  is  a  separate  laboratory  which  is  only  moderately 
well  equipped  for  work  by  the  pupils.  The  total  value  of  the  apparatus 
is  large,  but  many  expensive  instruments  are  valuable  primarily  only 
for  lecture  and  demonstration  purposes.  For  some  of  the  student  work 
there  is  equipment  for  only  two  or  three  groups,  which  requires  that  a 
large  number  of  students  work  together.  On  one  visit  to  the  laboratory 
the  writer  found  the  entire  class  working  with  a  single  set  of  apparatus. 
Thus  students'  work  in  the  laboratory  is  handicapped;  but  this  is  bal- 
anced in  part  by  the  varied  equipment. 

The  classes  in  physics  average  2%  recitation  periods  and  2%  double 
periods  of  laboratory  work  per  week.  The  text  this  year  is  Millikan  and 
Gale,  A  First  Course  in  Physics.  The  Laboratory  Manual  by  the  same 
authors  is  used,  and  from  this  twenty-five  of  the  most  valuable  experi- 
ments are  selected,  together  with  about  ten  others  chosen  from  various 
standard  texts,  or  made  up  to  fit  the  apparatus  at  hand,  and  presented 
by  mimeograph  copy  to  the  pupils. 

Before  an  experiment  is  begun  in  the  laboratory  the  principles  in- 
volved are  developed  before  the  class.  The  pupil  then  does  the  assigned 
work  and  hands  in  at  the  close  of  the  period  a  pencil  copy  of  the  data 
obtained  in  the  experiment.  This  is  handed  back  to  him  corrected  and 
graded.  If  his  conclusions  are  wrong  they  are  rechecked  in  the  after- 
noon or  at  the  next  laboratory  period.  Within  a  week  after  the  data  are 
collected  the  pupil  hands  in  a  write-up  of  his  experiment,  which  includes 
(a)  description  of  the  apparatus  used  and  method  of  obtaining  the  data; 
(6)  drawing  of  essential  apparatus;  (c)  answers  to  questions  asked  in 
the  text,  and  a  summary  of  general  discussion  of  50  to  500  words  (giving 
references)  of  the  subject  of  the  experiment.  For  much  of  the  work  the 
pupils  work  in  groups  of  two,  more  frequently  in  groups  of  four,  and 
sometimes  in  larger  groups,  depending  on  the  experiment  and  equipment. 

Accompanying  both  recitation  and  laboratory  work,  and  paralleling 
them  as  closely  as  possible,  is  a  course  of  practical  physics,  which  con- 
sists of: 

(a)  Lectures  by  the  instructor  and  others  upon  such  subjects  as  (1) 
production,  measurement  and  use  of  extreme  temperatures,  (2)  radio- 
active substances,  (3)  wireless  telegraphy,  (4)  the  X-ray  and  its  use  in 
medicine,  (5)  the  gas  engine  and  automobile,  (6)  artificial  ice,  (7) 
steam  power-plant  engineering,  (8)  use  of  electricity  in  the  home. 
Part  of  these  are  illustrated  by  lantern  slides,  and  they  are  reported 
by  the  class  in  an  extensive  theme. 

(6)  Visits  to  various  industrial  plants,  such  as  (1)  electric-light  plant, 
(2)  telephone  exchange,  (3)  X-ray  machine  of  physician,  (4)  wireless 
telegraph  and  laboratory  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  (5)  furniture  factory,  (6) 
Great  Western  Manufacturing  Company,  (7)  stove  works,  (8)  Soldiers' 
Home  power  and  heating  plant,  (9)  bridge  works,  (10)  roller  mills, 
(11)  state  prison  mine,  (12)  federal  prison,  (13)  power-transforming 
station,  (14)  Fisher  machine  shops,  etc. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      181 

During  the  spring  one  day  is  spent  in  Kansas  City  visiting  the 
Armour  packing  plant,  the  Loose-Wiles  candy  and  cracker  plant,  the 
Ridenour-Baker  Wholesale  Company. 

These  visits  are  gone  over  carefully  with  the  class  and  a  mimeograph 
copy  of  directions  for  a  theme  is  given.  These  themes  include  from 
1000  to  4000  words,  and  must  show  an  extensive  knowledge  of  the  plant 
or  industry  visited. 

A  state  text  in  physics  is  not  prescribed  by  law,  and  last  year  a 
different  text  was  used.  Next  year  it  is  planned  to  use  a  text  which 
has  appeared  within  the  last  few  months,  or  mimeographed  copies  of  a 
text  which  the  instructor  is  writing.  This  shows  initiative  on  the  part 
of  the  instructor,  and  the  class  can  not  fail  to  catch  some  of  his 
enthusiasm. 

As  indicated  in  the  outlines  of  the«.courses  in  the  case  of  both  physics 
and  chemistry,  there  is  a  very  evident  attempt  to  connect  the  work  of 
the  classroom  with  activities  of  the  community.  This  is  in  accord  with 
present  tendencies,  and  the  writer  believes  that  continued  progress 
should  be  made  in  this  direction. 

It  has  been  mentioned  that  the  reports  of  visits  to  industrial  plants 
"must  show  an  extensive  knowledge  of  the  plant  or  industry  visited." 
This  is  particularly  important.  The  historical,  economical  and  com- 
mercial aspects  of  the  industry  may  be  studied  with  much  profit. 

The  outlines  of  the  courses  do  not  indicate  that  the  pupils  are  al- 
lowed freedom  for  initiative  in  choosing  laboratory  experiments.  Com- 
•plete  freedom  can  not  be  given,  but  if  the  size  of  the  classes  and  the 
equipment  permit,  good  results  are  often  obtained  by  permitting  some 
opportunity  for  initiative  both  in  choice  of  experiments  and  in  the 
method  of  working  them  out.  Problems  brought  from  home  or  from 
the  community  are  excellent,  if  not  too  difficult,  even  though  they  are 
not  found  in  any  laboratory  manual.  Boys  often  become  interested  in 
constructing  a  steam,  engine,  an  electric  motor,  a  wireless  telegraph, 
etc.  Such  enterprises  represent  the  best  type  of  laboratory  work  if 
initiated  by  the  pupil.  However,  they  should  not  replace  all  of  the  set 
experiments,  but  may  properly  be  accepted  in  lieu  of  certain  experi- 
ments. 


182  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

SOCIAL  STUDIES  IN  THE  HIGH  SCHOOL. 

Walter  R.  Smith. 
HISTORY. 

THREE  units  in  history  are  taught.  One  is  in  ancient  history  during 
the  first  year.  This  is  followed  by  a  unit  of  mediaeval  and  modern 
history,  which  in  turn  is  followed  by  a  unit  of  American  history.  One 
unit  is  required  of  all  students;  the  others  are  elective.  The  required 
unit  may  be  any  one  of  the  three,  except  that  students  in  the  normal 
training  course  must  take  American  history. 

Myers'  Ancient  History  and  Myers'  Mediaeval  and  Modern  History 
are  used  as  texts  for  the  first  two  units,  and  Muzzey's  American  His- 
tory for  the  third. 

This  course  is  the  usual  one.  The  texts  are  also  not  unusual,  except 
that  Muzzey  is  a  much  better  history  than  is  generally  found  in  Kansas 
high  schools.  The  regular  topical  questions  and  answers  are  in  evi- 
dence in  the  teaching,  and  some  supplementary  reading  and  reference 
work  is  required.  Maps  are  used  in  all  rooms,  and  a  reference  library, 
rather  full  and  fairly  well  selected,  is  at  the  students'  command.  One 
difficulty  with  the  library  is  that  older  books  and  standard  sets,  both  of 
which  tend  to  frighten  young  students,  are  better  represented  than 
single  volumes  and  newer  books. 

CURRENT  EVENTS. 

Many  of  the  recitations  were  opened  with  current  events.  A  student 
was  called  upon  to  give  his  current  event.  He  rose  and  did  so.  Some 
were  well  selected  and  showed  discrimination.  Others  were  indiffer- 
ently selected  and  poorly  given.  Most  were  passed  by  without  criticism 
or  comment.  From  five  to  ten  minutes  were  thus  used. 

The  whole  of  this  part  of  the  recitation  was  treated  incidentally.  No 
effort  was  made  to  correlate  it  with  the  subjects  under  study.  One  of  the 
topics  for  the  regular  lesson  was  the  Clayton-Bulwer  Treaty  of  1857. 
What  a  golden  opportunity  to  direct  the  current  events  topics  to  a  study 
of  the  Panama  canal  at  present!  Also  to  a  comparison  with  the  Hay- 
Pauncefote  Treaty  and  its  possible  violation  by  the  canal-tolls  bill  which 
President  Wilson  is  now  trying  heroically  to  get  repealed.  Two  or  three 
days  spent  with  the  class  studying  this  whole  canal  subject,  from  its  be- 
ginning with  the  above  treaty  to  the  present  hour,  would  do  more  to  show 
students  the  value  of  history  and  give  them  historical-mindedness  and 
historical  training  than  several  times  the  amount  spent  in  isolated  topical 
recitation. 

Again,  the  value  of  current  events  depends  in  a  large  measure  upon 
teaching  the  students  to  read  newspapers  discriminatingly.  This  can 
not  be  done  without  criticism  from  the  teacher  and  making  of  each  topic 
a  matter  for  possible  class  discussion  and  estimate.  One  student  did  re- 
cite on  an  event  in  the  Mexican  situation  which  aroused  discussion.  But 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      183 

the  teacher  gave  the  facts  instead  of  holding  the  matter  over  for  class 
investigation.  There  was  no  effort  to  get  the  class  to  follow  the  Mexican 
situation,  which  was  by  all  odds  the  most  important  on  the  political 
horizon.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  current-events  work  was  deliber- 
ately made  a  side  issue,  and  hence  perfunctory,  when  it  might  have  been 
made,  especially  in  the  senior  American  history  class,  the  vitalizing 
feature  of  the  whole  study.  It  was  an  innovation  to  deal  with  current 
events  at  all;  but  one  more  step  ought  to  be  taken  in  dealing  with  them 
seriously  and  studiously.  Current  events  are  historical  events,  the  most 
important  of  all  historical  events — the  hardest  to  teach  well,  but  when 
traced  to  their  historical  origins,  the  most  remunerative  of  all  history 
teaching. 

THE   TEACHING   OF    HISTORY. 

.The  questions  asked  on  the  text  were  topical  and  well  put.  Most 
often  they  were  put  to  individuals  rather  than  to  the  class,  and  the 
individuals  recited  to  the  teacher.  In  general  it  may  be  said  that  there 
seemed  too  little  recognition  of  the  class  as  a  body,  as  distinguished  from 
a  collection  of  individual  students.  There  was  one  exception  to  this 
rule,  in  which  the  teacher  had  some  pupils  face  the  class  when  reciting, 
and  the  whole  class  were  asked  certain  questions,  showing  a  slight 
recognition  of  the  class  as  a  social  group.  In  general  there  was  little 
cross-questioning  of  students  to  train  originality  and  independence  of 
judgment.  Nor  was  there  sufficient  perceptible  effort  in  any  class 
visited  to  connect  historical  events  with  present-day  problems  in  order 
to  furnish  practical  motives  for  work.  History  was  taught  as  a  static 
subject  dealing  with  fixed  facts,  rather  than  as  a  study  of  causes  and 
effects  actively  molding  institutions  and  advancing  civilization.  Past 
society  was  divided  vertically  by  chronological  periods  in  the  old  way. 
Little  special  effort  to  vary  this  order  by  horizontal  divisions,  tracing 
institutions  back  to  their  origin  or  extending  topical  discussions  for- 
ward and  backward,  was  visible. 

An  illustration  of  possibilities  along  this  line  was  presented  in  an 
ancient-history  class  observed.  The  class  were  studying  Persian  history. 
They  had  under  discussion  the  Persian  religion.  Ormazd  and  Ahriman 
were  pointed  out  as  the  struggling  gods  of  good  and  evil.  The  simplest 
method  of  approach  to  drive  home  the  facts  would  have  been  a  compari- 
son with  the  Hebrew  religion.  This  would  have  been  a  lesson  in  com- 
parative religion  that  might  have  aroused  brain-stretching  thought 
in  addition  to  fixing  the  historical  facts  in  mind.  And  the  final  element 
in  motivation  would  have  been  to  ask  the  pupils  to  point  out  the  re- 
semblances and  differences  between  the  Persian  religion  and  their  own. 

Another  illustration  from  the  same  class  came  with  the  analysis  of 
the  Hindu  caste  system.  The  differences  between  ancfent  social  classes 
and  the  Indian  castes  was  brought  out;  but  there  was '  apparently  no 
effort  to  compare  them  with  present-day  social  classes  in  Europe  and 
America.  Such  a  comparison  would  have  brought  it  into  the  ordinary 
thinking  field  of  the  pupils  and  stimulated  evaluative  judgment  and 
initiative. 


184  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

Such  possibilities  of  tying  up  history  with  present-day  thought  are 
more  frequent  in  the  study  of  later  periods  of  history  and  should  not  be 
overlooked.  History  must  be  made  to  live.  It  must  stimulate  the  pupil 
to  original  questions  and  thoughtful  comparisons  if  in  after  life  it  is 
expected  to  lead  him  to  ground  his  social  thinking  upon  a  sound  historical 
basis. 

There  were  some  exceptions  to  this  lack  of  motivation  and  application. 
For  example,  in  one  class  there  was  an  animated  discussion  whether  or 
not  Peter  the  Great  was  a  great  man.  Comparisons  were  used,  and  the 
fact  was  elicited  that  Peter  could  not  be  judged  by  present-day  standards. 
Even  in  this  case  there  appeared  to  be  some  anxiety  lest  the  amount  of 
time  consumed  in  really  constructive  training  should  cause  the  class  to 
lose  a  paragraph  giving  unimportant  facts  about  the  reign  of  Ivan  the 
Terrible. 

Taken  as  a  whole,  it  may  be  said  that  the  teaching  of  the  conventional 
things  is  excellent.  The  kind  needs  some  revision,  however.  All  the 
teachers  are  college  graduates  and  quite  above  the  average  in  teaching 
skill.  But  some  of  them  are  not  historically  trained  and  their  efforts 
need  better  direction.  They  need  a  more  social  point  of  view — a  clearer 
conception  of  the  practical  results  that  should  be  accomplished  in  his- 
tory teaching.  None  seemed  to  have  thought  out  fully — and  few  history 
teachers  have — the  most  important  purpose  of  teaching  history,  or  to 
have  realized  that  the  most  important  history  happened  yesterday;  or, 
again,  that  history  is  a  kaleidoscopic  procession  of  unfolding  events,  not 
a  series  of  fixed  panoramas.  As  in  the  grades,  a  knowledge  of  the  end 
to  be  gained,  and  more  independence  in  teaching  the  boys  and  girls  what 
the  teacher  feels  is  best  for  them,  rather  than  a  textbook,  is  the  great 
desideratum.  Quality  of  training  rather  than  quantity  of  knowledge 
should  be  sought,  and  it  can  be  attained  without  any  loss  in  quantity  of 
information  imparted. 

CIVICS. 

Civics  is  taught  as  a  half  unit  in  the  second  semester  of  the  third 
year  to  students  in  the  normal-training  course,  and  may  be  elected  by 
seniors  in  other  courses.  Gitteau's  Government  and  Politics  in  the 
United  States  is  used  as  a  text.  Observations  and  conferences  indicated 
that  considerable  reference  work  was  done.  The  text  seemed  a  little 
formidable  for  a  half-year's  work,  if  any  initiative  was  to  be  left  to 
teacher  and  pupil. 

Yet  some  initiative  was  taken,  as  the  writer  observed  when  he  came 
into  a  class  actively  interested  in  a  debate  to  take  the  place  of  the  fol- 
lowing recitation.  This  debate  was  asked  for  by  the  students,  and  they 
were  working  eagerly  on  it — a  thing  not  quite  so  visible  in  their  ordinary 
work.  The  question  was  a  good  one  for  debate — prohibition  against 
high  license — and  arose  out  of  a  classroom  discussion.  Here  was  motive,  a 
basis  in  belief,  a  real  situation  growing  out  of  environment ;  consequently 
energy  was  lavished,  the  intensity  of  effort  that  educates  was  being 
put  forth,  and  the  writer  is  compelled  to  believe  that  more  civics  that  is 
worth  while  grew  out  of  that  debate  than  from  a  week  of  the  sort  of 
recitations  often  found  in  high  schools. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN-      185 

The  recitation  observed  was  well  planned.  There  was  a  distinct  effort 
to  make  civics  vital.  Questions  were  asked  calling  for  knowledge  of 
what  is  going  on  in  local,  state  and  national  government.  If  knowledge 
of  this  kind  seemed  a  little  too  scarce,  it  might  well  be  due  to  past  en- 
vironment rather  than  recent  training.  More  definite  effort  to  stimulate 
newspaper  and  magazine  reading  would  aid  in  remedying  this  weakness, 
and  should  be  applied.  Other  debates  calling  for  such  reading  would  be 
helpful,  and  class  visitation  to  civic  institutions  should  be  more  frequent. 

As  in  many  places,  the  evil  effect  of  an  impending  formal  examination 
was  visible.  An  inquiry  as  to  the  reason  for  going  two  months  without 
a  debate,  when  it  seemed  so  effective,  led  to  the  reply  that  the  students 
had  shortly  to  take  the  state  examination  for  a  certificate:  also,  that 
the  tests  called  only  for  dead  information  and  constitutional  facts  which 
useful  current  information  would  not  provide,  and  consequently  it  was 
necessary,  in  order  to  meet  the  formal  test  demanded  by  the  state,  to 
conserve  time  by  robbing  the  students  of  the  privilege  of  doing  both  the 
interesting  thing  and  the  one  that  is  a  direct  preparation  for  citizenship. 

While  this  handicap  is  recognized,  the  writer  wishes  to  urge  that  as 
rapidly  as  possible  the  course  in  civics  outlined  by  the  Committee  on 
Social  Studies  of  the  National  Education  Association  be  adopted.  This 
outline  is  as  follows: 

T.    GOVERNMENT  AND  PUBLIC  WELFARE. 

Fully  two-thirds  of  the  time  should  be  devoted  to  this  topic.  Here  the  pupil 
studies  those  activities  of  the  government  which  influence  his  life  more  frequently 
than  those  ordinarily  classified  under  the  next  topic — government  machinery.  Here 
he  learns  how  broad  is  the  work  of  the  government  and  how  intimately  it  influences 
the  life  of  the  individual.  The  real  meaning  of  government  dawns  upon  the  pupil 
when  he  learns  of  the  roads,  of  the  weather,  of  mineral  resources,  of  labor  and  com- 
mercial conditions,  and  of  many  other  things  too  numerous  to  mention.  Non- 
governmental organizations  engaged  in  work  for  social-  improvement  should  be  dis- 
cussed in  connection  with  the  governmental  functions  to  which  their  efforts  are 
most  closely  related. 

The  following  topics  are  suggested:  (1)  Health  and  sanitation:  Housing,  pure 
food  and  milk,  sewerage,  waste  disposal*  contagious  diseases,  statistics,  medical  in- 
spection of  school  children,  health  crusades.  (2)  Education.  (3)  Recreation. 
(4)  Charities.  (5)  Correction:  Juvenile  courts,  reform  schools,  etc.  (6)  Public 
utilities:  Transportation,  light,  telephone,  telegraph,  postal  system,  water,  etc. 
(7)  City  planning:  Sanitation  and  beauty. 
II.  GOVERNMENT  MACHINERY. 

Local,  state,  national;  legislative,  executive,  judicial;   courts  and  legal  processes; 
election   and  political  activities,    including  such  topics  as   initiative  and   referendum. 
III.    THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  GOVERNMENT. 

Social  psychology,  democracy,  the  family,  and  other  social  organizations. 

This  plan  of  study  ought  to  call  for  more  initiative  than  an  over- 
worked high-school  teacher  can  be  expected  to  show.  But  texts  based 
upon  this  outline  will  shortly  be  published,  and  in  the  meantime  all 
topics  here  mentioned  should  be  stressed.  And  even  the  persons  making 
out  the  examination  questions  will  be  influenced  by  the  new  trend.  So 
a  forward  movement  and  a  community  view  are  necessary  to  keep  this 
department  in  line  with  progressive  education. 


186  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

ECONOMICS. 

No  attempt  is  being  made  to  give  economics  at  present.  A  course 
has  been  given  at  times  in  the  past,  however,  and  one  is  being  planned 
in  the  commercial  course  for  next  year.  This  course  should  without 
doubt  be  given.  The  teacher  of  commercial  subjects  rightfully  pointed 
out  that  a  good  practical  course  in  economics  could  be  made  more  in- 
teresting and  helpful  than  the  commercial  geography  the  students  were 
then  reciting.  It  should  be  required  in  the  commercial  and  industrial 
courses  and  be  elective  in  the  others. 

There  are  two  possibilities  of  handling  economics  in  the  High  School. 
One  is  to  join  the  work  to  the  history  course  as  an  additional  social 
study.  This  is  generally  done,  and  the  plan  is  recommended  by  the 
Commission  of  the  National  Education  Association.  But  all  too  fre- 
quently it  leads  to  purely  industrial  history,  which  should  occupy  a 
large  share  of  the  time  of  the  American  history  class,  or  to  an  undue 
emphasis  upon  abstract  theory.  The  other  possibility  is  to  make  it  a 
commercial  study.  This  in  reality  is  where  it  belongs,  and  the  writer 
believes  that  the  recommendation  of  the  Commission  should  be  revised 
to  that  extent.  Economics  is  merely  a  study  of  business.  There  is 
some  danger  in  having  it  coupled  to  the  commercial  course,  because  of 
a  tendency  there  to  emphasize  accountancy  and  routine  rather  than 
the  larger  principles  and  relations  of  the  business  world.  But  economics 
must  be  made  an  applied  study  to  fulfill  its  proper  function.  The  text- 
books of  the  past  have  been  too  theoretical  and  scientific.  Like  other 
studies  working  their  way  down  through  the  curriculum  from  the  uni- 
versity, economics  still  has  the  academic  flavor.  But  many  efforts  are 
now  being  made  to  write  texts  for  students  rather  than  for  the  sake 
of  the  science,  and  better  adaptation  to  high-school  needs  may  be  ex- 
pected. Economics  should  be  and  some  day  will  be  made  the  most 
valuable  study  in  the  commercial  course,  and  a  practical  help  in  citizen 
training  for  all  others  who  elect  it. 

RECOMMENDATIONS. 

In  conclusion  the  writer  wishes  to  endorse  most  heartily  the  pre- 
liminary recommendations  of  the  National  Education  Association  rela- 
tive to  the  reorganization  of  the  high-school  course  in  history,  civics, 
and  economics.  This  committee  is  made  up  of  eighteen  educators  in- 
terested in  this  particular  work,  and  they  have  agreed — something 
teachers  do  not  always  do.  They  are  putting  in  definite  form  what 
progressive  teachers  along  these  lines  have  been  thinking  and  striving 
for.  They  represent  the  vanguard  of  thought  and  enlightened  planning, 
and  it  can  be  stated  with  confidence  that  where  they  are  leading  the 
Leavenworth  High  School  will  ultimately  follow.  The  writer  wishes 
to  urge  with  all  the  vehemence  in  his  power  that  the  course  of  study 
be  headed  that  way  at  once. 

This  committee  proposes  to  outline  the  five  following  units  of  social 
studies : 

1.  Community  civics  and  survey  of  occupations. 

2.  European  history  to  1600  or  1700   (including  English  and  colonial 
American  history) . 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      187 

3.  European    history    since    1600    or    1700    (including    contemporary 
civilization). 

4.  United  States  history  since  1760    (including  current  events). 

5.  Economics    and  civic  theory  and  practice. 

Probably  the  best  reasons  for  this  reorganization  of  the  course  will 
appear  in  the  statement  under  the  heading  "The  Point  of  View,"  which 
we  are  quoting  entire: 

"It  is  probable  that  the  high-school  teachers  of  social  .studies  have 
the  best  opportunity  ever  offered  to  any  social  group  to  improve  the 
citizenship  of  the  land.  This  sweeping  claim  is  based  upon  the  fact  that 
the  million  and  a  third  high-school  pupils  are  probably  the  largest  group 
of  persons  in  the  world  who  can  be  directed  to  a  serious  and  systematic 
effort,  through  both  study  and  practice,  to  acquire  the  social  spirit. 

"Good  citizenship  should  be  the  aim  of  social  studies  in  the  High 
School.  While  the  administration  and  instruction  throughout  the  school 
should  contribute  to  the  social  welfare  of  the  community,  it  is  main- 
tained that  social  studies  have  direct  responsibility  in  this  field.  Facts, 
conditions,  theories  and  activities  that  do  not  contribute  rather  directly 
to  the  appreciation  of  methods  of  human  betterment  have  no  claim. 
Under  this  test  the  old  civics,  almost  exclusively  a  study  of  government 
machinery,  must  give  way  to  the  new  civics,  a  study  of  all  manner  of 
social  efforts  to  improve  mankind.  It  is  not  so  important  that  the  pupil 
know  how  the  President  is  elected  as  that  he  shall  understand  the 
duties  of  the  health  officer  in  his  community.  The  time  formerly  spent 
in  the  effort  to  understand  the  process  of  passing  a  law  over  the  Pres- 
ident's veto  is  now  to  be  more  profitably  used  in  the  observation  of  the 
vocational  resources  of  the  community.  In  line  with  this  emphasis  the 
committee  recommends  that  social  studies  in  the  High  School  shall  in- 
clude such  topics  as  the  following:  Community  health,  housing  and 
homes,  public  recreation,  good  roads,  community  education,  poverty  and 
the  care  of  the  poor,  crime  and  reform,  family  income,  savings  banks 
and  life  insurance,  human  rights  versus  property  rights,  impulsive 
action  of  mobs,  the  selfish  conservatism  of  tradition,  and  public  utilities. 

"Long  as  the  foregoing  list  is,  it  is  quite  apparent  that  many  more 
vital  topics  could  be  added.  It  is  therefore  important  to  understand 
that  it  is  not  the  purpose  to  give  the  pupil  an  exhaustive  knowledge  of 
any  one  subject,  but  rather  to  give  him  a  clue  to  the  significance  of 
these  matters  to  him  and  to  his  community,  and  to  arouse  in  him  a 
desire  to  know  more  about  his  environment.  It  is  to  help  him  to  think 
'civically'  and,  if  possible,  to  live  'civically.'  Teacher  and.  pupil  must 
realize  that  they  are  studying  living  things.  They  must  not  be  content 
with  the  printed  page.  Everything  and  everybody  in  the  community 
must  be  drafted  into  the  service  of  the  boy  and  girl  striving  to  become 
an  effective  part  of  the  'body  politic'  and  a  constructive  member  of  the 
social  group.  Companions  in  the  schoolroom  and  on  the  playgrounds, 
workers  in  philanthropy  and  reform,  government  officials  and  business 
leaders,  voters  and  laborers  of  every  class,  are  all  material  for  the 
classroom  and  laboratory  in  the  social  studies. 

"History,  too,  must  answer  the  test  of  good  citizenship.  The  old 
chronicler  who  recorded  the  deeds  of  kings  and  warriors  and  neglected 
the  labors  of  the  common  man  is  dead.  The  great  palaces  and  cathedrals 
and  pyramids  are  often  but  the  empty  shells  of  a  parasitic  growth  on 
the  working  group.  The  elaborate  descriptions  of  these  old  tombs  are 
but  sounding  brass  and  tinkling  cymbals  compared  to  the  record  of  the 
joys  and  sorrows,  the  hopes  and  disappointments  of  the  masses,  who 
are  infinitely  more  important  than  any  arrangement  of  wood  and  stone 
and  iron.  In  this  spirit  recent  history  is  more  important  than  that  of 
ancient  times;  the  history  of  our  own  country  than  that  of  foreign 
lands;  the  record  of  our  own  institutions  and  activities  than  that  of 
strangers ;  the  labors  and  plans  of  the  multitudes  than  the  pleasures  and 
dreams  of  the  few." 


188  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

THE  RELATIONS   OF  THE  SCHOOL   AND  THE  COMMUNITY. 

Walter  R.  Smith. 
THE   FUNCTIONS   OF   PUBLIC    SCHOOLS. 

THE  democratic  developments  of  the  nineteenth  and  early  twentieth 
centuries  have  undermined  the  idea  that  the  school  is  an  aristocratic  in- 
stitution. Whether  or  not  the  common  people  embody  as  large  a  per  cent 
of  talent  and  genius  as  the  upper  classes  need  not  here  be  discussed  be- 
cause it  is  no  longer  doubted  that  they  embody  a  large  enough  per  cent  to 
justify  their  education.  This  would  be  true  even  if  the  training  of  the 
exceptional  man  were  admitted  to  be  the  highest  aim  of  an  educational 
system. 

Present  educational  theory,  however,  does  not  admit  that  it  is.  nor  is 
our  American  educational  system  based  upon  that  theory.  Free,,  public, 
compulsory  education  is  domocratic  education.  It  is  mass  education  and 
must  be  administered  for  all  classes.  An  analysis  of  educational  history 
shows  three  fundamental  lines  of  development:  The  first  is  from  the 
select  classes  to  the  masses.  The  abolition  of  slavery,  the  elimination 
of  serfdom  and  the  rise  of  the  laboring  classes  have  made  this  develop- 
ment necessary.  The  second  is  a  transition  from  private  and  elective  to 
public  and  compulsory  education.  The  extension  of  the  province  of  gov- 
ernment and  of  universal  suffrage  has  made  this  essential.  The  third  is 
a  change  from  ornamental  and  leisure-time  to  useful  and  work-time 
education.  The  struggle  for  a  higher  plane  of  living  for  all  the  people 
has  made  this  development  fundamental  to  our  civilization. 

The  state  of  advancement  of  any  educational  system  may  be  measured 
by  its  relation  to  these  three  standards,  but  the  test  must  be  specifically 
applied.  An  educational  system  may  be  open  to  all  and  yet  not  be  takers 
advantage  of  by  all.  It  may  be  nominally  compulsory  and  yet  not 
reach  all.  It  may  offer  useful  studies  and  still  not  prepare  all  to  elevate 
their  plane  of  living.  And  that  is  exactly  the  condition  of  our  public 
schools.  They  are  open  to  all,  yet  all  do  not  enter.  The  law  tries  to 
compel  all  to  gain  the  rudiments  of  an  education,  yet  8.4  per  cent  of  our 
voters  are  illiterate.  Our  schools  try  to  be  useful,  but  many  students 
drop  out  to  get  a  more  practical  training  for  advance  in  the  business 
world. 

Other  parts  of  this  Survey  have  dealt  with  other  phases;  but  this 
part  will  be  confined  to  a  discussion  of  the  wider  outreaches  of  the  schools 
— the  intimacy  between  the  school  as  at  present  organized  and  other 
community  interests.  Along  no  other  line  do  the  above-mentioned  tests 
offer  less  basis  for  local  pride  than  h^re;  and  in  no  place  are  there  more 
things  remaining  to  be  done.  It  is  the  judgment  of  the  whole  Staff  that 
there  is  a  wider  gap  between  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools  and  the 
public  than  in  most  progressive  cities.  Certainly  it  is  wider  than  it  need 
be  or  than  is  for  the  best  interests  of  both  the  schools  and  the  city.  If 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      189 

the  schools  are  to  reach  all  and  to  train  all  for  citizenship,  and  to  enable 
all  to  earn  an  honest  living,  it  is  necessary  for  all  to  get  together  in- 
closer  educational  relationships. 

In  order  to  deal  definitely  with  the  subject  it  may  be  well  to  consider 
these  relations  under  five  heads: 

1.  School  extension  work. 

2.  Public  use  of  the  school  plant. 

3.  Relations  of  school  and  patrons. 

4.  The  school,  the  home,  and  the  church. 

5.  The  school  and  business. 

SCHOOL   EXTENSION    WORK. 

Three  lines  of  extension  work  are  being  done  in  many  cities.  There 
is  need  for  all  of  them  in  Leavenworth.  The  first  one  is  the  offering  of 
graduate  electives.  This  may  be  done"  in  either  of  tw9  ways.  If  facilities 
were  adequate  a  regular  year  of  graduate  work  might  be  organized.  It 
would  be  too  much  to  expect  at  present  that  if  the  high-school  cur- 
riculum is  reorganized  a  year  be  added  to  each  of  the  various  courses. 
But  there  are  always  students  who  might  be  willing  to  take  another  year 
of  work  in  order  to  get  certain  studies  they  were  unable  to  elect  during  the 
regular  course  if  definite  announcement  could  be  made  that  they  would  be 
provided  for.  This  is  being  done  already  in  the  normal-training  course, 
and  might  be  extended  with  very  little  cost.  The  other  plan  is  to  allow 
part-time  attendance  for  special  work  like  domestic  science  or  art,  manual 
training,  music,  bookkeeping,  etc.  This  has  already  been  done  to  a 
limited  extent  in  domestic  science,  and  has  been  helpful  not  only  directly 
but  indirectly  in  fostering  the  parent-teacher  associations.  One  or  both  of 
these  plans  could  be  expanded  and  definite  provision  for  extension  work 
could  easily  be  made,  thus  serving  and  cultivating  a  wider  public. 

NIGHT    SCHOOLS. 

The  second  phase  of  extension  work  is  the  establishment  of  night 
schools.  Night-school  work  has  passed  definitely  beyond  the  period  of 
experiment.  It  has  become  real.  The  field  was  first  cultivated  by  cor- 
respondence, business,  trade  and  professional  schools.  But  their  success 
led  to  a  demand  for  publicly  supported  courses  supplementing  school 
work.  In  almost  every  city  where  such  opportunities  have  been  offered 
the  response  has  been  astonishing.  Leavenworth's  near  neighbor,  Kansas 
City,  Kan.,  has  a  total  night  enrollment  of  2300,  and  Kansas  City,  Mo., 
about  8000. 

Night-school  work  is  peculiarly  inexpensive  because  the  equipment  is 
already  at  hand.  The  buildings  and  apparatus  have  been  acquired  for 
the  day  schools.  They  are  also  heated,  and  almost  the  whole  expense  is 
for  lighting  and  teaching.  Many  teachers  are  willing  to  give  extra 
service  for  very  little  extra  pay.  Moreover,  night-school  work  is  especially 
rewardful  from  the  fact  that  students  are  in  earnest  and  many  of  them 
are  struggling  with  poverty.  They  have  found  the  need  of  additional 
education.  Hence  the  discipline  feature  is  eliminated  and  the  teacher's 
burden  lightened. 


190  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

Night  schools  also  have  a  valuable  reactionary  effect  upon  day  schools. 
Since  the  students  are  in  earnest,  and  since  they  are  more  mature,  their 
actual  needs  are  looked  after.  They  have  found  by  experience  what 
is  most  valuable  in  education,  and  by  pleading  are  able  to  influence  the 
pedantic  pedagogue  to  eliminate  the  impractical  and  unnecessary.  Leav- 
enworth  can  afford  them  for  their  pedagogical  effect  upon  the  day  school. 

But  that  is  not  their  most  valuable  contribution.  The  schools  are 
paid  for  by  the  public,  and  the  public  wants  to  be  served.  The  fact  that  a 
boy  has  to  leave  day  school  and  go  to  work  is  no  proof  that  he  is  unworthy 
of  a  public  education.  Nor  because  he  makes  a  mistake  and  voluntarily 
quits  should  he  be  deprived  of  advantages  if  he  later  desires  them.  There 
is  nothing  sacred  in  the  usual  hours  for  obtaining  an  education;  and  if 
they  can  be  extended  at  small  cost  it  is  abundantly  worth  while. 

Leavenworth  is  in  more  need  of  night  schools  than  most  cities  of  its 
size.  It  is  a  factory  town,  and  the  employment  the  factories  offer  lures 
young  people  to  leave  school  earlier  than  would  the  work  in  less  highly 
organized  and  mechanized  industries.  The  laboring  population  is  large, 
and  the  sons  and  daughters  of  laborers  drop  out  of  school  to  add  their 
earnings  to  the  family  exchequer.  And  since  the  employment  they  secure 
is  highly  differentiated  work  and  may  not  call  for  all  the  kinds  of  energy 
youth  provides,  some  can  pursue  work  in  a  night  school  without  ap- 
preciably lowering  vitality  and  still  earn  their  wages. 

But  the  need  of  night  schools  is  not  all  theory.  Investigations  pur- 
sued by  the  High  School  Boys'  Club  present  facts.  A  Kansas  law  pro- 
vides that  a  board  of  education  must  establish  a  night  school  when  it 
is  petitioned  for  by  the  parents  of  ten  children  who  desire  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  it.  Practically  double  that  number  of  signatures  have  been 
secured,  and  the  night  school  will  doubtless  be  started  next  year.  If 
properly  organized  and  advertised,  it  is  sure  to  be  an  instantaneous  and 
continuous  success. 

THE  VACATION    SCHOOL. 

The  third  line  of  extension  work  needed  is  the  vacation  school. 
During  three  months  of  the  year  Leavenworth  has  over  four  thousand 
school  children  with  practically  nothing  to  do.  They  are  not  vagrants 
because  society  expects  little  of  them.  But  they  have  no  occupation.  In 
the  old  days  of  gardens  and  elaborate  household  duties  and  a  home  that 
provided  manual  training  and  occupational  duties,  this  was  not  such  a 
serious  thing.  *  But  now  the  father  is  in  the  store  or  office  or  shop  and 
the  mother  is  busy.  The  child  is  free  and  generally  idle. 

Several  citizens  were  asked  what  these  four  thousand  children  did. 
There  were  two  answers:  "I  don't  know";  "They  are  on  the  streets." 
This  was  evident,  even  in  winter  time,  because  diligent  search  failed  to 
reveal  adequate  play  spaces.  Public  parks  were  absent  for  the  reasons 
previously  stated.  As  shown  elsewhere,  the  school  grounds  are  mostly 
small  and  cramped.  Private  charity  has  provided  two  playgrounds. 
One  man  bought  the  apparatus.  A  few  charitably  inclined  women 
raised  the  money  for  running  expenses.  Last  season's  budget  of  ex- 
penses for  these  two  playgrounds  totaled  $180.  One  was  adequate  in 
size  and  equipment  but  was  located  in  a  sparsely  settled  district;  the 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      191 

other  was  microscopic.  The  result  was  an  average  daily  attendance  of 
about  fifty-five  children.  Where  were  the  remainder  of  the  four  thou- 
sand? 

This  showing  indicates  the  vast  field  open  to  the  Leavenworth 
schools.  Those  four  thousand  children  should  not  be  objects  of  charity. 
The  public  not  only  owes  them  an  opportunity  for  health-giving  play., 
but  it  owes  them  the  same  opportunities  for  proper  development  during 
vacations  that  they  get  at  other  seasons  of  the  year.  It  need  not,  and 
probably  ought  not,  generally  to  be  the  same  sort  of  training;  but  it 
ought  to  be  as  definitely  supervised  as  during  the  school  year.  Wherever 
this  summer  work  has  been  undertaken  it  has  at  first  been  tentative, 
then  real;  first  charitable,  then  public.  Supervised  play  develops  into 
supervised  work  that  is  educational. 

This  work  in  Leavenworth  should  doubtless  follow  the  usual  line  of 
evolution.  The  charitable  stage  has  been  useful,  but  it  can  not  go  far. 
It  is  to  be  hoped  that  this  charitable  spirit  will  take  the  direction  of 
educating  the  public  to  the  possibility  and  need  of  civic  control.  And 
the  best  means  of  reaching  the  problem  is  through  the  schools.  Some 
of  the  school  grounds  are  adequate  for  a  beginning.  The  Morris  School 
ground  is  large  enough  and  is  well  located  for  the  purpose.  The  Maple- 
wood  and  Sumner  grounds  are  also  large  enough  to  be  useful,  if  the 
"keep  off  the  grass"  idea  can  be  eliminated  from  the  latter.  No  possi- 
bilities are  in  sight  in  the  most  "respectable"  district,  but  doubtless  a 
centrally  located  playground  could  be  obtained.  Land  for  school  gar- 
dening could  be  rented  cheaply. 

One  trained  supervisor  might  be  obtained  by  the  school  board.  As- 
sistants ought  easily  to  be  obtained  for  the  present  from  primary 
teachers  located  in  Leavenworth  who  would  be  glad  of  the  training 
provided  by  an  expert.  Plays  and  games  of  a  competitive  and  educa- 
tional sort  should  be  used,  but  generally  the  most  interesting  features 
come  in  such  things  as  clay  modeling,  manual-training  work  of  an 
ingenious  kind,  folk  dancing,  swimming  where  possible,  nature-study 
trips,  and  actual  gardening  for  profit.  Apparatus  and  supplies  are 
useful,  but  wholly  secondary  to  trained  supervision.  Once  undertaken, 
this  work  is  never  abandoned,  and  year  by  year  becomes  more  efficient 
and  helpful  to  the  general  education  of  the  child. 

A  less  worthy  but  frequently  more  appealing  motive  comes  in  the 
effect  of  vacation  work  upon  delinquency.  Wherever  supervised  play 
has  been  tried,  it  is  found  that  the  work  of  the  juvenile  court  is  greatly 
reduced.  Tests  in  Chicago,  Buffalo,  Rochester,  Washington,  New  York 
and  many  other  cities  show  that  the  saving  in  the  handling  of  juvenile 
delinquency  goes  a  long  way  toward  paying  the  costs  of  this  supervised 
play.  And  properly  handled  it  is  only  slightly  less  educative  than 
regular  school  work. 

PUBLIC   USE   OF   THE    SCHOOL   PLANT. 

The  second  phase  of  community-school  relations  is  shown  in  the  use 
made  of  school  property.  School  buildings  are  paid  for  and  owned  by 
the  public.  They  are  in  general  centrally  located  for  community  pur- 
poses. They  must  be  kept  heated,  and  generally  are  lighted.  Extra 


192  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

expense  for  janitors'  services  and  incidentals  is  slight.  The  school 
building  thus  becomes  the  best  place  for  a  community  social  center. 

One  looks  in  vain  for  any  organized  social  centers  in  Leavenworth. 
Not  that  they  are  not  needed,  for  the  conditions  are  peculiarly  favorable 
to  the  accomplishment  of  a  real  mission  through  them.  Organized  rec- 
reations in  some  parts  of  town  are  few.  Temptations  are  numerous. 
Unsupervised  amusements  are  always  dangerous.  And  every  oppor- 
tunity that  can  be  offered  by  the  home,  the  church  and  the  school  to 
direct  leisure  time  will  not  be  too  many.  These  are  the  three  organized 
institutions  best  fitted  to  cope  with  evil  influences,  and  no  one  of  them 
should  be  recreant  to  duty.  Every  evening  spent  in  the  schoolhouse 
under  proper  surveillance  is  a  disqualification  for  pleasure  in  the  under- 
world. 

A  variety  of  things  can  be  done  to  make  these  evenings  worth  while. 
A  reading  room  can  be  established  with  books  and  old  magazines  that 
will  be  gladly  donated.  Picture  shows,  talks,  civic  discussions  and  de- 
bates, literary  societies  and  social  evenings  can  be  organized.  Parents 
and  young  people  as  well  as  the  children  need  elevating  entertainment 
and  educational  stimulus.  All  these  things  will  tie  the  public  to  the 
schools.  They  will  make  discipline  easier,  and  can  be  used  to  foster  a 
higher  type  of  local  pride  and  civic  responsibility — much  needed  in 
Leavenworth.  The  two  schools  for  colored  children  and  some  of  the 
others  in  the  more  remote  and  poorer  districts  really  need  these  addi- 
tional advantages  for  social,  cultural  and  recreational  purposes.  These 
things  are  being  done  in  many  places,  and  the  Survey  Staff  wish  to 
urge  that  some  of  these  centers  be  organized  in  Leavenworth  without 
delay. 

RELATIONS   OF    SCHOOL   AND   PATRONS. 

Four  parent-teacher  associations,  representing  six  of  the  schools,  have 
been  established  during  the  last  year,  and  others  are  in  prospect.  Those 
in  existence  are  doing  good  work.  Better  relations  are  being  established 
between  parents  and  teachers.  Misunderstandings  are  being  ironed  out 
-and  the  home  and  school  are  realizing  more  fully  their  dependence  upon 
each  other.  The  local  associations  have  their  regular  monthly  meetings, 
and  in  addition  come  together  for  occasional  joint  meetings. 

Three  members  of  the  Staff  attended  one  of  these  local  meetings.  Each 
of  the  members  spoke  for  a  time  and  then  listened  to  an  hour  of  lively 
discussion.  It  was  presided  over  by  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education. 
Questions  of  safety  from  fire,  building  improvement,  closer  sympathy  and 
better  cooperation  between  parents  and  teachers  were  discussed  freely.  A 
specific  result  of  this  meeting  may  be  mentioned  to  illustrate  the  possible 
value.  A  commendable  effort  is  being  made  through  the  monthly  report 
card  to  get  parents  to  grade  their  children  on  home  conduct.  On  the  back 
of  this  card  grades  on  the  following  points  are  requested:  (1)  home 
study;  (2)  home  duties;  (3)  obedience. 

One  parent  misunderstood  and  was  incensed  with  the  query,  and  wrote 
on  the  card,  "This  is  my  business."  But  after  hearing  the  discussions  and 
getting  the  point  of  view  of  others,  he  offered  his  complete  cooperation 
with  the  teacher  and  principal  in  the  future.  Such  things  make  the 
work  of  both  teacher  and  parent  easier  and  more  effective. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      193 

This  cooperative  work  also  has  more  remote  effects.  School  equipment 
and  buildings  depend  upon  the  citizens'  willingness  to  vote  taxes.  This 
willingness  in  turn  depends  upon  knowledge,  and  every  successful  parent- 
teacher  organization  brings  more  fully  home  to  the  citizen  the  needs  of 
the  schools.  A  needed  bond  issue  was  voted  down  half  a  dozen  years  ago, 
although  the  school's  bonded  indebtedness  was  small,  because  of  a  lack  of 
this  public  sympathy  and  knowledge  now  being  fostered.  In  the  con- 
structive program  necessary  to  put  the  Leavenworth  schools  to  the  front, 
complete  cooperation  between  citizen  and  teacher  is  fundamental  and 
must  not  be  neglected. 

THE  SCHOOL,  THE  HOME,  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

Another  phase  of  school  and  community  relations  is  the  more  vital 
connection  between  the  school  and  tjie  home.  This  relation  should  not 
only  be  sympathetic;  it  should  be  organic.  Many  schools  have  experi- 
mented along  this  line  until  a  definite  cooperative  basis  has  been  estab- 
lished. All  skillfully  directed  and  eagerly  pursued  work  is  educative. 
Scientific  cooking  or  artistic  housekeeping  in  the  home  is  as  valuable  as  it 
5  in  the  school — even  more  valuable  in  educating  the  girl  for  her  future 
duties  in  life.  The  same  is  true  of  accounting,  bookkeeping,  manual 
training  or  other  careful  and  expert  work.  There  is  no  reason  why  they 
should  not  be  -given  credit  toward  graduation  in  school  if  cautiously 
estimated  and  properly  correlated  with  the  school  course.  Wherever 
such  a  practice  has  been  properly  carried  out  it  has  had  the  quadruple 
effect  of  making  the  school  work  more  interesting  and  effective,  holding 
the  boy  or  girl  longer  in  school,  elevating  the  standard  of  home  life,  and 
tying  the  home  more  fully  to  the  school. 

What  is  true  of  this  correlation  of  school  and  home  work  is  equally 
true  of  other  institutions,  especially  the  church.  It  would  scarcely  be 
less  valuable  to  the  school  than  it  would  be  to  the  church  to  have  the 
Sunday  school,  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  and  the  young  people's 
societies  of  the  church  linked  with  the  public-school  work.  It  would  put 
more  seriousness  and  effort  into  the  church  work;  it  would  put  more  true 
Christianity  and  fellowship  into  the  school  work,  each  benefiting  by  the 
influence  of  the  other;  and  the  student  would  get  broader  ideas  of  the 
oneness  of  all  life  and  higher  ideals  of  complete  living  and  community 
responsibility.  This  cooperation  is  being  carefully  worked  out  at  the 
Emporia  State  Normal  by  giving  school  credit  to  effectively  done  work 
in  these  institutions.  Similar  work  is  already  done  in  several  progressive 
cities.  The  Leavenworth  social  atmosphere,  as  pointed  out  in  the  opening 
chapter  of  this  Survey,  is  in  need  of  the  civic  spirit  and  cooperative 
effort  that  might  be  fostered  by  cultivating  the  democracy  and  fellow- 
ship and  mutual  aid  of  the  school,  the  home  and  the  church. 

THE    SCHOOL   AND   BUSINESS. 

The  school  and  the  business  world  have  been  far  too  contemptuous  of 
each  other.  The  school  has  wrapped  its  mantle  of  superiority  about  itself 
and  looked  disdainfully  upon  business  as  a  materialistic  affair.  The 
business  world  has  scorned  the  scholar,  pitied  his  self-abnegation,  laughed 

—13 


194  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

at  his  pedantry,  and  condemned  the  impractical  schools.     Each  has  gone 
his  way  and  neglected  the  other,  and  both  have  suffered  thereby. 

As  business  becomes  more  complex  it  demands  young  employees  of 
greater  training  and  adaptability.  The  schools  should  supply  these. 
Bur  they  can  not  be  supplied  without  the  cooperation  of  the  business 
world  with  the  schools.  On  the  other  hand,  the  schools  have  suffered 
from  this  lack  of  cooperation  because  they  have  been  unable  to  practicalize 
their  work  enough  to  hold  the  students.  The  great  dropping  off  between 
the  first  and  second  years  of  the  High  School,  amounting  to  37  per  cent 
in  Leavenworth,  is  largely  due  to  the  lack  of  association  of  first-year 
studies  with  real  life.  Miss  Jean  M.  Gordon  states  truly  that  the  cause 
of  the  large  percentage  of  students  leaving  the  schools  before  they  have 
finished  the  twelve  years  of  work  offered,  amounting  to  over  90  per  cent, 
is  the  schools  themselves.  Boys  and  girls,  young  men  and  young  women, 
must  not  only  be  interested  in  their  studies,  but  they  must  be  able  to  see 
wherein  these  studies  will  be  useful  in  life,  before  they  will  take  them. 
We  older  persons,  in  our  supposed  larger  wisdom,  may  decide  that  it 
would  be  best  for  them  to  pursue  a  certain  course  of  studies  arranged 
logically  and  given  in  a  drill-perfect  way.  But  we  have  found  that 
nearly  nineteen  out  of  twenty  in  the  cities  of  the  United  States  will  not 
do  this.  In  Leavenworth  about  nine  out  of  every  ten  are  not  doing  it. 

What,  then,  you  may  ask,  is  to  be  done?  Two  things  at  least  must 
be  done  before  any  large  decrease  can  be  made  in  this  enormous  school 
mortality.  The  school  studies  must  be  brought  into  closer  relations 
with  the  office  and  shop,  and  the  office  and  shop  must  be  linked  with 
the  schools  in  the  actual  teaching  of  the  various  branches  of  study. 

This  is  being  done  by  our  most  progressive  school  systems  in  various 
ways.  Credit  is  given  in  the  schools  for  outside  work  done  either  in 
business  or  in  other  institutions.  The  commercial  course  should  be  ar- 
ranged so  that  credit  may  be  given  for  practical  work  done  in  book- 
keeping, typewriting,  stenography,  and  clerical  work  of  various  kinds. 
Arrangements  may  be  made  with  business  firms  to  use  advanced  stu- 
dents part  of  the  day  or  week  or  month  while  they  are  in  school  the 
remainder.  This  will  give  the  student  some  practical  apprenticeship 
experience  that  will  enable  him  to  earn  a  respectable  salary  immediately 
on  leaving  school. 

The  industrial  course  likewise  offers  large  opportunities  along  this 
line.  Tradesmen,  after  they  have  had  the  experience,  are  glad  to  get 
part-time  helpers  at  little  cost.  The  factories  in  Leavenworth  offer  an 
unusual  opportunity  for  this  sort  of  development.  A  plan  similar  to  the 
ones  so  successfully  used  in  Cincinnati,  Boise;  Beverly  and  Fitchburg, 
Mass.;  Lewis  Institute,  Chicago,  and  a  large  number  of  other  schools, 
might  be  worked  out.  The  process  of  tying  the  school  work  to  the  shop 
should  proceed  slowly  and  cautiously,  but  should  none  the  less  be  started 
and  developed  as  rapidly  as  possible. 

For  the  student  who  is  planning  a  complete  college  education  and 
wishes  to  pursue  the  old  cultural  high-school  course  in  preparation  for 
a  professional  career  less  needs  to  be  done.  In  the  past  the  high  school  has 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      195 

been  arranged  largely  for  him  and  he  has  used  it.  But  even  Leaven- 
worth  has  plenty  of  professional  men  who  failed  to  take  all  of  the 
high-school  work  offered,  but  would  have  taken  it  if  it  had  seemed  more 
practical  to  them  at  the  time  they  dropped  out.  English,  mathematics, 
history  and  civics,  economics,  physics,  and  chemistry — all  the  old-line 
studies — should  be  worked  over,  are  being  worked  over,  to  make  them 
applied  studies.  The  civic  and  industrial  and  institutional  life  of  Leav- 
enworth  is  rich  in  laboratory  materials  for  making  these  studies  real  and 
vital  and  practical  for  the  student;  and  the  reciprocal  effect  upon  those 
institutions  of  turning  out  large  bodies  of  trained  young  people  who 
understand  the  needs  and  problems  of  the  city  would  aid  in  building  up  a 
greater  and  better  Leavenworth  of  the  future. 

NEED   OF   AN   EMPLOYMENT   BUREAU. 

One  other  practical  phase  of  this  subject  must  be  mentioned  in  clos- 
ing. The  High  School  has  as  yet  no  definite  organization  for  aiding  its 
graduates  in  securing  positions.  Seventy-nine  per  cent  of  them  do  not 
go  to  college.  Most  of  this  seventy-nine  per  cent  go  to  work.  An  em- 
ployment bureau  can  be  run  from  the  High  School  principal's  office 
with  little  expense.  Business  firms  of  the  city  ought  to  be,  and  doubt- 
less would  be,  glad  to  favor  local  talent  in  securing  employees.  A 
record  of  each  graduate's  qualifications  and  the  opinions  of  his  teachers 
regarding  his  character  and  industry  could  be  on  file.  Such  an  em- 
ployment agency  would  be  useful  to  both  the  graduate  and  the  public, 
and  would  secure  some  of  that  greater  intimacy  between  the  schools  and 
the  business  world  which  is  so  much  needed  in  these  days  of  strenuous 
competition. 

SUMMARY   OF  RECOMMENDATIONS. 

1.  That  every  effort  be  made  to  close  the  wide  gap  which  is  quite 
conspicuous  in  Leavenworth  between  the  schools  and  the  public. 

2.  That    other    students   besides    those    taking    the    normal-training 
course  be  urged  to  return  for  a  year  of  graduate  work  in  the  High 
School,  to  be  taken  from  studies  not  elected  during  their  undergraduate 
career. 

3.  That  home-makers  and  other  overage  men  and  women  be  invited 
to  elect  specific  work  that  will  aid  them  to  become  more  efficient  citizens. 

4.  That  night  schools  be  organized  and  adequately  provided  for,  to 
begin  work  at  the  opening  of  next  school  year. 

5.  That  in  connection  with  the  juvenile  court  and  the  cultural  and 
civic  clubs  of  the  city,  a  trained  supervisor  of  playgrounds  be  employed 
for  the  coming  summer  to  organize  the  people  and  facilities  already  at 
hand,  and  thus  make  a  real  beginning  in  the  use  of  the  summer  season 
as  an  aid  rather  than  a  hiatus  in  educational  work. 

6.  That  social  centers  be  established  at  the  Morris  School,  the  Maple- 
wood   School,  and   such  others  as  can  be  used.     Also  that  social   and 
industrial  centers  be  established  at  the  Lincoln  and  the  Sumner  schools. 

7.  That  every  effort  be  made  to  maintain  permanently  the  present 
enthusiastic  parent-teachers'  associations,  and  that  their  work  and  in- 
terest be  widely  extended. 


196  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

8.  That  arrangements  be  made  with  business  men  to  use  part-time 
students  in  the  commercial  work  and  with  factories  and  tradesmen  to 
do  the  same  for  students  in  the  industrial  course. 

9.  That  girls  be  given  school  credit  for  work  properly  done  in  the 
home.     That  the  same  privilege  be  extended  to  boys  where  the  work 
may  be   considered   constructively   educative.     Also   that   arrangements 
be  made  with  the  churches  to  establish  actual  study  classes,  effectively 
taught,  for  which  school  credit  shall  be  given. 

10.  That  an  employment  bureau  be  run  from  the  High  School  prin- 
cipal's office  to  secure  work  for  graduates  and  to  enlist  the  cooperation 
of  the  business  men  of  the  community  in  giving  the  graduates  a  proper 
start  in  the  business  world. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVEN  WORTH,  KAN.      197 


SOME  RESULTS  OF  THE  SURVEY. 


I.     PROGRESS  TOWARDS  IMPROVING  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT  OF  LEAVENWORTH. 

The  probability  of  rebuilding  in  Leavenworth  has  been  rather  remote 
until  within  the  last  year.  The  parent-teacher  associations  very  generally 
discussed  the  question  during  the  school  term  of  last  year,  1914-1915. 
These  discussions  led  to  the  formation  of  a  central  committee  composed 
of  two  delegates  from  each  school  building,  which  made  an  estimate  of 
the  expenditure  considered  necessary  to  remodel  every  public-school  build- 
ing in  the  city.  This  estimate  was  carried  before  the  school  board  in  the 
form  of  a  petition.  The  committee  was  asked  by  the  board  to  ascertain 
the  state  of  public  opinion  and  was  assured  that  the  board  stood  ready 
to  cooperate  by  calling  a  bond  election  whenever  public  opinion  justified 
such  action.  The  central  committee  then  concluded  its  labors  by  calling 
a  mass  meeting,  the  large  attendance  at  which  showed  the  unmistakable 
interest  of  the  public.  This  meeting  referred  the  matter  of  making  a  full 
and  complete  investigation  of  the  school-improvement  problem  to  a  care- 
fully selected  committee  of  fifteen  citizens.  This  committee  is  expected 
to  report  in  full  in  the  fall  of  1915. 

From  all  this  it  is  plain  to  see  that  Leavenworth  is  safely  on  the  road 
to  more  modern  school  buildings.  It  is  readily  admitted  by  the  school 
authorities  of  the  city  that,  next  to  the  parent-teacher  associations  of  the 
city,  the  Survey  has  been  a  leading  factor  in  bringing  about  what  change 
of  public  opinion  exists,  and  this  change  is  considerable. 

II.     THE  REMODELING  OF  OUR  PRESENT  SCHOOL  BUILDINGS. 

In  order  to  meet  the  fast  growing  demands  for  socialized  education, 
and  also  the  demands  for  some  means  for  socializing  patrons  as  well 
as  pupils,  the  Board  of  Education,  a  year  ago,  constructed  audi- 
toriums in  the  larger  grade  buildings  of  the  city.  These  auditoriums 
are  in  constant  use  in  many  group  endeavors  in  school,  and  are  also  in 
use  by  parents  in  their  local  meetings  connected  with  the  schools. 

Most  of  the  dark  rooms  of  the  old-fashioned  grade  buildings  have 
been  rendered  tenable  by  additional  windows.  The  Survey  assisted 
materially  here. 

The  Board  of  Education  is  carrying  out  a  plan  begun  some  four  years 
ago  of  installing  one  new  heating  plant  each  summer  until  all  defective 
plants  have  been  removed.  Three  new  plants  have  been  installed  and 
only  two  defective  plants  remain. 

*  This  account  of  some  of  the  results  of  the  Survey  is  appended  to  the  report  of  the 
Survey  at  the  suggestion  of  Superintendent  Moore,  and  was  prepared  by  him  in  October, 
1915.  A  first  draft  of  the  report  of  the  Survey  was  placed  in  his  hands  about  July  1,  1914, 
and  later  a  summary  of  the  report  was  made  accessible  to  the  teachers,  the  board  of  educa- 
tion, and,  in  some  degree,  to  the  public  of  Leavenworth.  When  comparing  the  statistical 
tables  given  here  with  the  tables  contained  in  the  report  certain  facts  should  be  noted.  The 
test  in  arithmetic  is  not  the  same  as  the  one  used  in  making  the  Survey;  the  conditions 
under  which  the  samples  of  handwriting  were  collected  are  not  given;  and  a  different 
spelling  test  has  been  used. — DIRECTOR  OK  THE  SURVEY. 


198  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

III.     PARENT-TEACHER  ASSOCIATIONS. 

Leavenworth  has  several  parent-teacher  associations,  all  of  which 
show  signs  of  healthy  growth  and  endeavor.  Four  of  these  associations 
were  organized  in  1913  and  the  remaining  three  in  the  following  year. 
They  have  without  question  been  the  most  prominent  factor  in  awakening 
interest  in  the  schools  and  in  education  in  Leavenworth.  In  nearly  every 
instance,  the  programs  and  discussions  have  been  practical  and  helpfuL 
The  parents  who  attend  these  associations  are  coming  to  understand  the 
purposes  and  plans  of  the  schools,  and  they  show  a  desire  to  cooperate  in 
realizing  these  purposes  and  plans.  The  benefits  of  these  associations 
are  measured  only  in  their  growth,  for  the  more  people  the  associations 
contain  the  more  good  they  will  accomplish  and  do  accomplish  in  bring- 
ing the  people  and  the  schools  together. 

Enrollment  in  the  Associations. 

Third  Avenue 124 

Oak  Street   115 

Morris    108 

Maplewood    130 

Franklin    74 

Sumner    145 

Lincoln     95 

The  Leavenworth  parent-teacher  associations  at  present  furnish  three 
of  the  officers  of  the  state  organization,  the  president,  corresponding  sec- 
retary, and  one  director. 

IV.    HIGHER  STANDARDS  FOR  TEACHERS. 

(a)     The  City  Training  Class. 

As  a  direct  result  of  the  Survey,  the  requirements  for  teaching  in  the 
Leavenworth  elementary  schools  have  been  raised  to  a  higher  standard. 
For  years  Leavenworth  has  prepared  most  of  its  grade  teachers  at  home, 
in  what  has  long  been  known  as  the  city  training  class.  Some  four  years 
ago  the  normal-training  course  provided  for  by  state  law  was  taken  as 
the  nucleus  around  which  to  reorganize  the  training  class  for  the  city.  In 
addition  to  the  regular  course  required  by  the  state  for  the  normal-train- 
ing certificate,  those  members  of  the  normal-training  class  who  desired 
to  become  members  of  the  city  training  class  were  required  to  take  public 
school  music  and  a  course  in  arts  and  crafts.  To  this  was  added  later 
a  course  in  physical  education.  After  graduation  from  this  course  the 
pupil-teacher  was  required  to  do  one  year  of  substituting  on  constant 
duty  (with  regular  pay)  before  becoming  eligible  for  a  position  as  a 
regular  teacher.  But  this  plan  allowed  the  prospective  teacher  to  take 
the  state  required  junior  and  senior  work  in  high  school,  thus  permitting 
her  to  become  eligible  for  a  regular  position  with  really  only  one  year 
of  preparation  beyond  the  high  school,  namely,  the  year  as  a  substitute. 
Since  the  Survey  the  board  has  been  able  to  raise  the  standard,  until 
now  the  prospective  teacher,  before  becoming  a  regular  teacher,  must 
meet  the  following  requirements: 

1.    She  must  be  a  graduate  of  an  accredited  high  school  before  entering 
the  city  training  class. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      199 

2.  She  must  spend  two  years  in  the  city  training  class  or  in  a  normal 

school  or  college  equivalent  thereto. 

3.  She  must  have  a  state  normal-training  certificate  or  its  equivalent. 

4.  She  must  possess  a  city  certificate  determined  upon   the  following 

elements : 

(a)    State  certificate  multiplied  by  40. 

(6)   Average  of  daily  grades  in  normal-training  class  X  20. 

(c)  Public-school  music  X  10. 

(d)  Arts  and  crafts  X  10. 

(e)  Physical  education  X  10. 
(/)    Practice  teaching  X  10. 

5.  She  must  serve  one  year  as  a  substitute  on  daily  duty,  assisting    (1) 

as  a  teacher  when  so  needed;  (2)  as  office  help  in  the  principal's 
office;  (3)  as  an  assistant  in  making  out  records,  grades,  tabula- 
tions of  school  statistics,  and  in  the  clerical  work  connected  with 
tests  and  measurements;  and  (4)*  any  other  work  incidental  to  teach- 
ing which  she  may  be  requested  to  do  by  the  principal  or  superin- 
tendent. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  standard  has  been  raised  to  a  point  where 
three  years'  preparation  beyond  high-school  graduation  is  required. 
Since  four  years'  preparation  beyond  the  high  school  is  all  that  is  re- 
quired by  the  North  Central  Association  of  Colleges  for  teaching  in 
accredited  high  schools,  it  appears  that  the  present  Leavenworth  min- 
imum for  grade  teachers  is  now  as  high  as  one  could  reasonably  expect. 
It  may  also  be  remarked  that  two  years  beyond  the  high  school  is  all  that 
is  required  for  the  life  certificate  by  our  state  normal  schools.  Measured 
by  this  standard,  it  is  again  seen  that  the  Leavenworth  requirements  are 
above  the  average. 

(6)    Improvement  of  Teachers  in  Service. 

The  teachers  of  Leavenworth  have  always  carried  forward  some 
character  of  improvement  in  service  work.  Being  located  in  easy  reach 
of  the  State  University,  the  work  for  some  years  has  consisted  of  series 
of  lectures  from  that  institution,  sometimes  academic  and  sometimes  pro- 
fessional in  nature.  For  the  last  four  years  the  work  has  been  entirely 
professional  in  character.  Since  the  Survey  the  entire  corps  of  grade 
teachers  has  been  doing  extension  credit  work  for  the  Kansas  State 
Normal  School  of  Emporia,  and  the  results  have  been  used  as  the  basis 
for  advance  in  salary.  This  work  consists  of  fifteen  lectures  or  reci- 
tations of  not  less  than  fifty  minutes  each,  for  one  hour  of  credit,  pro- 
vided a  satisfactory  examination  is  passed.  The  lectures  are  given  under 
rules  and  regulations  prescribed  by  the  Kansas  State  Normal  School  and 
the  final  examinations  are  passed  upon  by  that  institution, 
(c)  Attendance  of  Teachers  at  Summer  Schools. 

The  comparative  data  furnished  by  the  Survey  revealed  that  the  grade 
teachers  of  Leavenworth  were  about  on  the  average  as  to  the  number 
of  teachers  attending  summer  schools ;  but  from  the  rapid  growth  of  such 
schools  it  is  evident  that  this  average  is  ever  increasing,  and  if  the  local 
average  did  not  increase  correspondingly  the  city  would  soon  fall  behind 
in  this  respect.  However  well  teachers  may  be  trained  in  the  home  train- 
ing classes,  it  is  a  matter  of  supreme  importance  that  each  teacher  bring 


200  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

to  the  schools  of  the  city  the  breadth  of  outlook  on  life  and  education 
that  teachers  in  service  can  obtain  nowhere  else  except  in  the  great  edu- 
cational centers  in  summer  sessions,  or,  if  the  means  can  be  afforded,  in 
whole  years  on  leave  of  absence.  Since  the  Survey — and  to  a  great  extent 
as  the  result  of  the  Survey —  there  has  been  a  considerable  increase  in 
the  number  of  teachers  attending  summer  schools.  In  addition,  the 
board  of  education  has  been  asked  in  a  few  cases  to  grant  a  year's  leave 
of  absence  in  order  that  the  applicant  might  pursue  special  courses  in 
professional  schools. 

V.     THE  USE  OF  TESTS  AND  MEASUREMENTS. 

With  the  Survey  the  school  authorities  of  Leavenworth  began  the  use 
of  standard  tests  for  measuring  products  of  instruction  in  the  common 
branches.  The  Leavenworth  Public  Schools  are  now  provided  with  an 
expert  for  making  these  tests  and  directing  the  use  of  the  tabulated  re- 
sults. The  results  are  reported  to  teachers,  principals,  and  the  superin- 
tendent. As  previously  indicated,  the  Survey  has  been  of  material  help 
in  initiating  this  work  in  the  school  system.  For  results  of  tests  in 
1914-'15,  and  up  to  the  present  time  in  the  term  of  1915-'16.  see  page  201. 

VI.     REVISION  OF  THE  COURSE  OF  STUDY. 

Within  the  last  four  years  the  course  of  study  in  the  Leavenworth 
Public  Schools  has  been  thoroughly  revised  and  modernized,  as  has  also 
the  method  of  its  administration  by  the  principals  and  teachers.  The 
teachers  are  at  present  engaged  in  rewriting  the  course  and  bringing  it 
into  complete  correlation  and  harmony.  The  results  of  this  serious  at- 
tempt to  adapt  subject  matter  to  life  as  we  live  it  (not  as  our  fathers 
lived  it)  has  been  to  increase  the  school  population  nearly  8  per  cent  in 
a  city  whose  aggregate  population  is  at  a  standstill.  Wherever  pos- 
sible— and  that  means  in  nearly  every  condition  and  situation — subject 
matter  has  been  filled  with  human  interest  and  hitched  onto  life  with 
actualities  instead  of  supposed  cases.  For  illustration,  the  children  of 
the  city  are  no  longer  asked  to  write  compositions  with  the  scrutiny  and 
correction  of  the  teacher  as  the  only  motive,  but  they  are  offered  the 
same  motive  that  induces  the  grown-up  to  write — publication  and  finan- 
cial reward.  To  accomplish  this  the  grade  schools  maintain  a  twenty- 
four-page  quarterly  publication,  folio  size,  which  contains  the  meritori- 
ous compositions  of  the  children  (no  others  accepted).  This  composition 
is  paid  for  at  so  much  per  word,  and  every  child  in  the  city  has  a  chance 
to  earn  money  writing  for  this  paper.  The  writings  to  be  accepted  must 
conform  to  a  certain  standard  lately  set  up  for  measuring  composition. 


SURVEY  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LEAVENWORTH,  KAN.      201 


The  Use  of  Tests  in  the  Leavenworth  Public  Schools.* 

COURTIS  STANDARD  RESEARCH  TESTS  IN  ARITHMETIC,  SERIES  B,  MAY,  1915. 

Class  Medians. 


Grade. 

4th 

kJ.r  jc 

5th 

6th 

7th 

St/i 

XXASJ. 

Grade. 

/m\jm  — 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

8th 

Standard 

5 

7 

9 

11 

12 

Morris    

50 

70 

55 

50 

70 

Morris    

..  .      5 

5 

6 

8 

8 

Third  Ave.    . 

.  .    50 

60 

55 

80 

70 

Third   Ave. 

.  .  .       5 

6 

8 

8 

9 

Oak   Street    . 

.  .    50 

60 

55 

60 

70 

Oak   Str66t 

4 

A 

7 

7 

8 

Sumnert 

30 

50 

50 

60 

50 

Su.mn.6r1" 

3 

8 

9 

16 

13 

Maplewood     . 

.  .    80 

80 

100 

Maplewood 

.  .  .       5 

6 

7 

Franklin     .  .  . 

.  .100 

80 

60 

Franklin 

5 

7 

g 

Jefferson 

70 

80 

Jefferson 

A 

fi 

S  UBTRACTION  SPEED. 

SUBTRACTION  —  ACCURACY. 

Grade. 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

8th      *•    Grade. 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

8th 

Standard    .  . 

..  .      6 

8 

10 

11 

12 

Morris    

.  .    50 

65 

75 

70 

70 

Morris    

.  .  .       5 

7 

8 

10 

11 

Third   Ave.    . 

.  .    50 

50 

55 

75 

80 

Third   Ave. 

.  .  .       3 

5 

7 

10 

9 

Oak   Street    . 

.  .    50 

70 

60 

65 

60 

Oak   Street 

.  .  .      4 

6 

7 

7 

8 

Sumnert    .  .  . 

.  .    30 

50 

50 

50 

80 

Sumnert    .  . 

.  .  .      8 

9 

13 

22 

22 

Maplewood     . 

.  .    80 

80 

100 

Maplewood 

.  .  .       5 

6 

7 

Franklin     .  .  . 

.  .100 

80 

70 

Franklin 

5 

6 

7 

Jefferson    .  .  . 

.  .    80 

80 

Jefferson    .  . 

.  .  .       7 

7 

MULTIPLICATION  —  SPEED. 

MULTIPLICATION  —  ACCURACY. 

Grade. 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7t/i 

8th 

Grade. 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

8th 

Standard    . 

...       5 

7 

9 

10 

11 

Morris    

.  .    60 

70 

65 

60 

70 

JMorris 

6 

6 

8 

9 

11 

Third   Ave.    . 

.  .    50 

100 

100 

70 

70 

Third   Ave. 

.  .  .      4 

5 

7 

7 

9 

Oak   Street    . 

.  .    50 

60 

60 

70 

70 

Oak   Street 

4 

7 

7 

9 

9 

Sumnert    .  .  . 

.  .    30 

50 

50 

50 

70 

Sumnert    . 

...       3 

7 

7 

7 

11 

Maplewood     . 

.  .    80 

80 

100 

Maplewood 

...      4 

6 

6 

Franklin    .  .  . 

.  .    80 

80 

60 

Franklin     . 

4 

6 

7 

Jefferson    .  .  . 

.  .    80 

80 

Jefferson    . 

...       5 

7 

DIVISION  —  SPEED. 

DIVISION  —  ACCURACY. 

Grade. 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7<ft 

8th 

Grade. 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

8th 

Standard 

4 

6 

8 

10 

11 

Morris 

40 

60 

70 

80 

80 

Morris    .  .  . 

...       5 

6 

5 

7 

9 

Third  Ave.    . 

.  .    50 

70 

80 

90 

80 

Third   Ave. 

...      3 

3 

5 

5 

8 

Oak   Street    . 

.  .    50 

70 

60 

75 

75 

Oak   Street 

...      4 

5 

5 

7 

7 

Sumnert    .  . 

.  .    30 

50 

50 

70 

80 

Sumnert    . 

...      3 

7 

7 

11 

18 

Maplewood 

.  .    70 

70 

100 

Maplewood 

...      3 

4 

5 

Franklin    .  . 

.  .100 

80 

80 

Franklin     . 

...      3 

5 

6 

Jefferson    .  . 

.  .    80 

80 

Jefferson    . 

4 

4 

STARCH'S  READING  TEST,  1914-'15. 
Measurement  of  Speed. 

The  rate  is  given  in  words  per  second. 

School.  3d  grade.        5th  grade.  7th  grade. 

Standard     2.1  2.8  3.6 

Morris     1.5  2.9  3.5 

Third  Avenue    3.0  3.9  4.3 

Oak  Street    2.3  4.0  3.5 


*  These  tabulations  were  made  by  Ira  J.  Bright,  efficiency  expert  for  the  Leavenworth 
Public  Schools. 

t  Colored  school. 
—14 


202  KANSAS  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

Measurement  of  Comprehension. 

The  rate  is  given  in  words  per  30-second  period. 

School.                                                        3d  grade.        5th  grade.  7th  grade. 

Standard    24                      33  45 

Morris     21.5                  37.5  51.5 

Third  Avenue    21                      43  44 

Oak  Street 35                      41  55 

HANDWRITING  MEASURED  BY  THE  THORNDIKE  SCALE,-  1914-'15. 

The    numbers    represent   the    average    score    for    each    grade    in    terms    of    Thorndike's 
Handwriting  Scale  as  determined  by  sixteen  judges. 

Grade.  1  2  3  4  o  6  7  8 

Morris     7.7      10.5      11.7      11.2      12.4      12.5      14.5      14.3 

Third   Avenue    9.5      10.2      10.0        9.3      11.3      10.9      14.7      15.3 

Oak  Street    9.5        9.2      11.3      11.5      12.5      12.0      13.4      13.5 

HANDWRITING  MEASURED  BY  THE  THORNDIKE  SCALE,  1915-'16. 
Class  Medians. 


Grade. 

4th 

Sth 

61  h 

7th 

Sth 

Morris     

11 

13 

12 

12 

14 

Third  Avenue 

10 

11 

11 

13 

13 

Oak  Street   

8 

11 

11 

13 

11 

Sumner    (Colored)     

12 

11 

12 

13 

15 

Maplewood 

10 

13 

13 

Franklin 

11 

11 

12 

Jefferson     

11 

Lincoln    (Colored)     

10 

10 

11 

11 

10 

AYRES  SPELLING  SCALE,  1915-'16. 
Class  Medians. 


Grade. 

3d 

4th 

5th 

6th 

7th 

Standard    

58 

79 

88 

94 

98 

IVIorris                                         .  . 

60 

85 

94 

93 

99 

Third  .A-vsnuc 

80 

89 

98 

96 

99 

Oak  Street  .  .  

65 

84 

87 

93 

99 

Maplewood  

51 

83 

93 

Jefferson 

84 

Franklin 

64 

85 

90 

Sumner    (Colored)     

70 

85 

91 

95 

98 

Lincoln    (Colored)     

53 

62 

78 

95 

93 

D 


UNIVEESITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
BERKELEY 

THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

Books  not  returned  on  time  are  subject  to  a  fine  of 

?  «?nnVOlUme,after  the  third  da>'  overdue,  increasing 
to  $1.00  per  volume  after  the  sixth  dav.  Books  not  in 
demand  may  be  renewed  if  application  is  made  before 
expiration  of  loan  period. 


SEP  3  W» 


50m-7,'16 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


